Sunderland winger Adam Johnson has claimed that Newcastle United fans "must hate" him following his goal in the Black Cats' 1-0 Tyne-Wear derby win on Sunday.
The 27-year-old collected Will Buckley's layoff before firing home in the 89th minute to break Magpie hearts and set off wild celebrations among the visiting fans.
It was the third time in as many seasons that Johnson had scored the winner in the St James' Park fixture.
He told Sky Sports News after the game: "We've won three years in a row now, they must hate me here, three wins, three clean sheets. It's a personal favourite of mine coming to play here, it's a great atmosphere and the crowd all seem to rise to the occasion.
"I missed a chance earlier and I would have been devastated if I'd missed that one at the end. I took my time and set myself and it went in. It's massive for us, it gives us a great boost."
Gus Poyet's charges climb to 14th in the Premier League table following the win, which was just their third of the season.
