By Michael Djordjieski

Ahead of a crunch meeting with third placed Tuggeranong United, Canberra FC sit top of the National Premier League (NPL) Capital Football ladder with a perfect six wins from six to start the campaign.

When you dissect the victories, their massive 7-2 win over Tigers FC and a whopping 5-0 away victory at McKellar against defending Champions Belconnen United are the two that stand out. 

The form of forward Thomas James has largely been the catalyst for this hot run, having scored nine goals in just six league outings. 

While the club have made themselves the frontrunners in the league so far, they have carried that over into the cup as well, blazing a trail into the semi-finals of the Preliminary rounds.

After taking over in the dugout this season, coach Paul Macor has not lost or drawn a game in all competitions, a fine example of just how well his style and philosophy have been executed by his side.

When discussing the strong start of his team, Macor is adamant what really matters is what happens after August.

“It has been an outstanding start, but then again we still haven’t won anything,” he said.

“So you can start well, but it is all about how you finish at the back end.”

It was not all smooth sailing heading into the new season and part of that had to do with an extended pre-season that saw their first match postponed, followed up with a bye in the second round.

That meant a busy schedule with three matches inside eight days to begin their campaign, but after fighting their way through it has been smooth sailing ever since. 

When asked about instances this season where his side have clearly followed his philosophy out on the pitch, Macor said their most recent encounter stood out. 

“It was in our last game against Woden-Weston,” Macor said. 

“I always feel that traditionally, Canberra FC play well against the strongest teams, whereas against other sides they struggle more.

They (the players) executed the plan to a tee and moved the ball around really well.” 

A common theme for this Canberra FC team has been their ability to constantly stretch the opposition defence and having players such as James, Kofi Danning and Jordan Lamb at his disposal has made Macor appreciate his attacking arsenal. 

“It is very pleasing that what those boys execute in training, they execute to a tee on game day.

“I always tell them to make sure they are in the right positions, let the ball do the work and keep going.”

Not only has Macor’s team had no problems going forward, they also hold the best defensive record in the league having conceded just four goals.

Depth in the backline is clearly a strength of this team, something that Macor alluded to.

“We have the likes of Matt Grbesa, who has come over from Belconnen United and who I probably rate as one of the best defenders that has come up the ranks in Canberra football,” Macor said.

“We have young Daniel Subasic working next to Matt, so he’s just going to grow to be a better player, plus I think we have the two best keepers in the league in Sam Brown and Jordan Thurtell, it is fantastic.” 

One feature that has stood out watching the team in 2018 is how much they play as a team, and Macor said that the unity of the side is a trait he wanted to instil when he came in. 

“One thing I wanted to instil was you need to enjoy playing football,” he said.

“Don’t just turn up on the day and run around for 90 minutes, actually enjoy what you’re trying to produce out on the park, and once you enjoy it, results come with it.” 

With a cup semi-final ahead this week the side are in the mix to qualify as Canberra’s entrant into the national rounds of the FFA Cup, but Macor played down any expectations of how far his side can go if they do make it past Belconnen and then Gungahlin United or Woden-Weston. 

“I do think about it. I think it would be fantastic for the club and for the boys to go to that next level and play teams outside of Canberra, where they can get a bigger experience.”

When asked what aspects of their play his team needs to maintain in order to stay successful come finals time, Macor pinned down that his squad must not get carried away at this early stage.

“Keep the right attitude. I keep telling them that the game is won at the final whistle. We just have to be patient.”

With Canberra Olympic having the bye this week, Macor’s men can push their margin at the top of the table to six points with a win when they take on Mitch Stevens’ Tuggeranong United side today at Kambah.