O'Donovan desperate to prove his worth

"I chapped the manager's door quite a few times when I was not in the team and to be honest, in the end, my knuckles were a bit sore," joked the 23-year-old yesterday. "I chatted to him about not being in the side but looking back, it was probably just a bit of over-enthusiasm on my part.

"I basically had to bide my time and bite my tongue. I came here looking for first-team football so desperately wanted to play in every game.

"But I realise the manager picked the players he did for a reason and I can have no complaints about that. Craig Levein has been brilliant with me, I'm really happy to be part of what's happening at the club. "

No sooner had O'Donovan broken into the side a few weeks ago than he was out again, following a red card against Falkirk. An injury to Warren Feeney, however, has opened the door once again on his chances at Tannadice.

"That's how the game works at times. I've got an opportunity now and I hope to take it with both hands," he said.

Kilmarnock beat Levein's men earlier in the season so O'Donovan, who will come up against fellow Irishman Connor Sammon, is relishing the chance to exact revenge. He said: "Hopefully, the run we're on unbeaten in 10 will last for a long time to come.

"I know Connor Sammon, who has signed for Kilmarnock.

He's a very hard-working centre-forward, he's good in the air and has a big physical presence."

Kilmarnock started the season in fine form but have hit a slump recently. Levein, though, pointed to his own side's recovery from their early season torpor as proof that one good result can kick-start a resurgence. "The way our season has gone is a reminder to us that you can't write anyone off," he said. "We were bottom of the league at one stage but have put a run together and in my view all the teams are capable of that.

"There is not a coat of paint between the teams in this league, the results every week prove that."

Meanwhile Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies is concerned that referees are unfairly targeting his Italian midfield enforcer Manuel Pascali.

Pascali returned from suspension in the Ayrshire side's 3-0 defeat at Celtic on Wednesday and picked up his seventh yellow card of the campaign from referee Mike Tumilty in what appeared to be a case of mistaken identity after Celtic's Cillian Sheridan went to ground.

Jefferies said: "Sometimes people have it in for people and that booking was a disgrace. I've seen it again on video and how the referee could even give a foul, never mind book him, is incredible. The referee was miles wrong.

"If anybody had made contact, it was Frazer Wright. He has been really unlucky. Three of the bookings that led to his suspension were a joke.

"At St Mirren, it was debatable whether it was a foul or not but a booking on top of it? And another time he got booked when he tried to split up a fight.

Jefferies angrily reacted to suggestions that Kilmarnock wrote off the points even before their trip to Parkhead, which came after a 4-0 defeat to Rangers at Rugby Park.

"I didn't write any points off and there's no defeatist attitude in my camp," he insisted. "We were only 1-0 down with 75 minutes gone so we didn't throw in the towel.

"What we said was if there was anyone with any fitness doubts then I wouldn't risk them. Apart from David Fernandez, who is in his thirties, I didn't rest anybody.

"Fernandez was feeling tired after the Rangers match and Dundee United is a big game at home so we wanted to keep him fresh.

"I took Mehdi Taouil off because I wanted to give Allan Russell 30 minutes. I didn't take a chance with Jamie Hamill because he was 50-50 and if he had taken another knock, he would have been out for the weekend."

He added: "What we are saying is that it is more realistic to look at the next run of games and although they are not easy, we are trying to give ourselves a chance to get the lions' share of the points.And if we can get a win against Dundee United, it will be a great victory for us."