HAT-TRICK hero Aaron O’Connor says nobody will look forward to facing Newport County AFC after his goals sank Bury on Saturday.

O’Connor believes the Exiles’ 3-1 win at Gigg Lane has sent out a warning to their League Two rivals and he insists the club’s run of just one defeat in 15 league games shows they mean business.

The striker’s terrific treble – his first in the Football League following a persistent groin injury sidelined him for much of last season – moved Justin Edinburgh’s men up to eighth in the table, two points off the play-off places.

“I think a lot of people will start to look at us now with one defeat in 15 and putting three past Bury,” said O’Connor.

“We’ve tried to go about our business quietly but I think a few people will start to talk about us now.

“We’ll just take each game as it comes but we’re growing week by week now and anyone who plays us will not be looking forward to it.”

He added: “We spoke about managing games because we’ve let two-goal leads slip and thrown away leads before but coming back from 2-0 down at home to Exeter last week showed we have good team spirit.

“And we had to show a different kind of spirit and togetherness today to see the game out and make sure we took the three points home.”

O’Connor now has seven goals in 15 starts this campaign and he believes he has proved that he can cut it in League Two.

“I always believed I would get back to this level,” said the 31-year-old who fired County to promotion at Wembley in May 2013.

“I wouldn’t let myself or my teammates down by playing if I didn’t think I could do a job for the team.

“I haven’t made any excuses about my injury but I’ve felt over the last few weeks that I’m near to where I was before.

“I was playing OK before that but I’ve been doing a lot of work behind the scenes and I feel like that is paying off now and I’m very close to my normal self.

“I feel fitter and stronger now and hopefully I can keep that going.”

O’Connor also paid tribute to his late grandmother for inspiring him during his long road to recovery.

“My grandma kept me going,” he said. “She never came to see me play because she was always scared of me getting injured.

“But she knew how much I loved football and she was quite spiritual. She always gave me some wise words and kept my head up.

“She passed away a couple of months ago and I’ve got her name on my boots so she’s still helping me along the way.”