NEWCASTLE Jets striker Roy O'Donovan will welcome the hostile reception that is inevitably coming his way in Saturday's F3 Derby clash with Central Coast at McDonald Jones Stadium.
O'Donovan spent two seasons with the Mariners, scoring 19 goals in 45 games, before he was lured to their arch-rivals at the start of the 2017-18 campaign.
On debut for the Jets, coincidentally against his former club, the Irish target man was taunted by Mariners fans who waved a banner depicting him as a snake and booed him every time he touched the ball.
He responded with a hat-trick in Newcastle's 5-1 demolition to enjoy the last laugh.
But this season the boot appears to be on the other foot. After three consecutive wooden spoons, the Mariners are flying high, second only to Melbourne City on the A-League ladder, while the Jets are languishing on the bottom rung.
A strong turnout of visiting fans is expected on Saturday and O'Donovan is looking forward to the atmosphere they will create, even if he plans to send them home disappointed.
"That extra pressure brings you to a new level, and I hope it's no different this weekend," O'Donovan said.
"I hope they do bring the negativity, the songs, the banners, because that's what football is all about.
"It's about the banter and trying to put it up people."
Not surprisingly, given that they are winless in their past 12 games, the Jets' home crowds this season have been disappointing, even taking into account coronavirus restrictions in the early rounds.
The prospect of being outgunned by the Mariners, on or off the pitch, does not sit well with O'Donovan.
"What we don't need is to have more Mariners fans here than Jets fans," he said.
"We need that positivity. It's a proud football club, and we're representing this shirt. We want to win, and if they can come out and help us, it would be fantastic to drown out the Mariners' boos."
Much as he wants to beat them, O'Donovan nonetheless admires what the Mariners have achieved this season under coach Alen Stajcic. He is confident the Jets can perform a similar revival after what he described as a "transitional" season.
"I suppose the Mariners have learned from the mistakes of years gone by and really nailed it down this year ... it just shows you that little changes and high standards make a big difference," he said.
Last week's penalty in the 1-all draw with two-time defending champions Sydney FC was O'Donovan's sixth goal of the season and the 55th of his A-League career.
The 35-year-old has held preliminary talks with the Jets about extending his stay.
"The positive is the manager wants me here and he sees me playing a part," he said.
"I'll go as long as it feels good. Right now, I haven't missed a day's training, I've been available for every game. I'm feeling quick, feeling strong.
"Obviously I'd like to score more goals and win more games, but this season was always going to be a bit of a transitional year for the football club, so I've had to try and put my self-interest aside.
"But, look, I'd love to finish with lots more goals. I'm in the top 10 all-time A-League [goalscorers] now and I'd like to be a lot higher up that list before I finish up."
