United achieved the double over their local rivals last season, with a brace from Beth Lumsden enough to secure three points away from home, while Shania Hayles’ late goal in the return fixture on Tyneside will forever be etched in the club's history.
Ahead of the first Tyne-Wear derby of the campaign, Ditchburn reflected on last weekend's draw at Durham, as well as embracing the feeling of the derby.
Here are some of the key points from the Magpies interim manager's pre-match media briefing:
On improving on last weekend's performance…
"We've looked at some small improvements, and been working on the training ground and in the analysis room on those little details that were missing in the Durham game.
"Hopefully, we can put that right (on Sunday), and those small changes start to make a big impact."
On what she expects from Sunderland on Sunday…
"I feel like form goes out of the window in a derby game, and we know what Sunderland will bring, and they're always a big challenge.
"We're certainly not underestimating them, and we know that they're a well-organised outfit every year and competitive in this league, so I think I think it'll be a challenging game."
On embracing the emotion of a Tyne-Wear derby…
"It's a Tyne-Wear derby, so it's always imperative to get a win, and that's why we look forward to it, and that's why we want to play in these games.
"You get a buzz in the run-up to the game, so without a doubt, we're going there to win, as I'm sure Sunderland will be, and it'll be what makes it fantastic.
"We're not shying away from it, we're almost embracing it because it’s a Tyne-Wear derby. Whether it's men's or women's, it doesn't matter, the whole area has a real buzz to it."
On the last meeting between these two sides…
"I think the game, especially at St. James' Park, obviously has a lot of positive memories for us and the players and staff who were involved have really good memories from that game.
"The players who weren't involved want a piece of that because they've heard so much about it, and because it's almost gone down in folklore, so I'm hoping that it can be a similar experience come the weekend."
