Glentoran winger Caragh Hamilton says the club’s mindset has not changed as they challenge holders Cliftonville in the Women’s Premiership on Friday.
Cliftonville ended Glentoran’s two-year run of titles last season and the sides are level on points at the top after six matches of the new season.
Hamilton, 26, says the Glens’ sole focus is to win every match they play.
“Other people’s perception may have changed about who the ‘favourites’ are, but our focus is the same,” she said.
“It’s as simple as we want to win every game in the calendar. It was the same last year and it is the same this year.
“It is a new situation for Cliftonville as holders but we know they want to win every single game too.
“We want to try and win every single trophy we are in. That doesn’t change from season to season for us.”
Glentoran and Cliftonville have made blistering starts to the season with maximum points from their opening six matches.
The east Belfast side are top thanks to a superior goal difference after their victories over Derry City, Mid Ulster, Larne, Sion Swifts, Lisburn and Ballymena United.
Cliftonville, so impressive as they won their first title last season, have defeated Linfield, Derry, Larne, Sion Swifts and Lisburn – not conceding a goal.
While Friday’s game at Solitude, the first of two between the sides this season, has been tipped to be decisive in the title race, Hamilton adds it is not the ‘be all and end all’ and Glentoran can’t get caught up in a ‘winner takes all’ approach.
“Saying it matters more, I don’t think it does because it’s only three points, at the end of the day. It matters just as much, because if you don’t back it up then what was the point of going and beating that team?
“It is a more difficult fixture when you are playing against some of the best players in the league, but we can’t be complacent going into any fixture and we know that coming off the back of last year.
“On paper, we were expected to beat every team and then it would be a shoot-out against Cliftonville. However, we ended up beating Cliftonville twice but we dropped points against Crusaders, Linfield and Sion Swifts, and that cost us the title.
“It is a very important game on Friday, but we also know there are a number of teams who, if you are not at the top of your game, they can come in and take advantage of that.
“We always want to push the high standards we have and we always want to get better. We are hungry for more success.”