Roy O'Donovan hat trick for Newcastle Jets haunts Mariners

Striker Roy O'Donovan bagged a first-half A-League hat-trick to help the Newcastle Jets thrash his former club Central Coast 5-1 in Gosford on Saturday.

O'Donovan, who was the Mariners' top scorer in each of his two seasons, was booed on Saturday by some of the home fans.

But the jeers were soon overwhelmed by the cheers of the away supporters, in the crowd of 12,044. The 32-year-old Irishman had three goals on the board inside 38 minutes and he helped overturn an early deficit.

O'Donovan also supplied the pass that set up substitute Joseph Champness for the Jets' fourth goal in the 81st minute and Dimi Petratos struck a spectacular fifth in the 90th.

It was a first win in 11 A-League games for 2016-17 last-placed Newcastle, who last won on Jan. 27 and hadn't scored a goal in their final five matches of last season.

They looked a more-potent outfit, with O'Donovan, new import Ronald Vargas Petratos and Andrew Nabbout all lively.

The Mariners scored first through new Spanish striker Asdrubal in the fifth minute.

It was a short-lived lead as O'Donovan converted a penalty he earned after being fouled by Mariners captain Alan Baro.

The veteran striker then capitalised on two smart assists from Nabbout, netting with a close-range shot and a perfect header.

The derby became feisty with the Jets' Daniel Georgievski and Steven Ugarkovic and the Mariners' Josh Rose all booked in the last few minutes of the first half.

Nabbout joined them in referee Jonathan Barreiro's notebook in a second half in which both teams created more chances and the Mariners dominated the corner count.