Brisbane Roar midfielder Jay O'Shea insists there will be no extra edge to Sunday's A-League game against Western United as the clubs battle to put themselves into finals contention.
When the Roar faced the A-League expansion club in their only previous meeting in December, Western United coach Mark Rudan got into a spat with Brisbane officials after his team had claimed a 2-0 win at Suncorp Stadium.
Rudan claimed he had been "disrespected" by Roar coach Robbie Fowler, who had not shaken his hand after the match, and then got into a verbal altercation with Roar chief executive David Pourre which Fowler labelled "disgraceful".
The tensions between the two clubs have only increased with Roar recruit Scott McDonald unable to face his former team after United insisted on a clause in the ex-Socceroo forward's contract forbidding him to play in Sunday's match at Mars Stadium in Ballarat.
With the Roar's 2-1 win over Adelaide last weekend allowing Fowler's team to leapfrog United into sixth place on the competition ladder, Sunday's game has plenty riding on it, although O'Shea was quick to play down any festering rivalry.
"I think everything will be alright," the Irish midfielder said.
"Things in football are quickly forgotten about and I think there'll be handshakes. It'll be a good game and I'm looking forward to it."
The Roar's run of just one defeat in their past seven matches since that December reverse against United has put the team firmly in finals contention.
O'Shea, who has created more A-League chances than any player this season, believes that surge in form is a result of the team finding its feet under Fowler after a major squad overhaul in the off-season.
"We're starting to see the fruits of all the work that we've done at the start of the season," the Irishman said. "Everything's starting to gel now.
"Obviously it was a brand new squad, new staff and everything like that. It was always going to take a little bit of time.
"We were playing some good stuff at the start of the season but weren't getting the results and now we're starting to get the results."
Australian Associated Press
