WESTERN NSW Mariners FC captain Megan Embleton has seen good days, bad days, and everything in between during her time with the club and in its previous incarnation as the Western Panthers.

But she is struggling to think of a time when their situation has been as positive as it is right now at the halfway point of their women’s State League season. 

Embleton and her team-mates face Parramatta FC tomorrow afternoon at Proctor Park, the Mariners sitting comfortably on top of the ladder with just one defeat and nine wins.

The skipper herself has been in sublime form all year and her double against Mount Druitt last Sunday gives her nine goals from nine games, including three consecutive two-goal hauls.

Even in a team that peppers the opposition defence week in, week out, Embleton is a shining light.

But she is quick to deflect most praise for both her individual exploits and the team’s lofty position on the ladder to their work as a group.

“I think mostly those goals are just coming as a result of team-work and being in the right place at the right time,” she said.

“Generally our passing has been very good and we’ve created a lot of opportunities, so if you can get to the right spot the goals will come. The team has set a lot of them up.

“The basic reason we are doing so well is the fact that we just get along so well as a group and play for each other. It makes each game so enjoyable and makes us perform better.”

Embleton has been a part of a  unsuccessful grand final sides in the past, playing in defeats with the then-Panthers side in 2008 and 2009 in the Super League, the middle tier of three competitions in the old structure.

She and Teegan Courtney are the last remaining links to those teams.

Usually the likes of Illawarra and the Inter Lions were a bit too strong for Western. But the captain is happy to now see her side running the show.

“In all that time I don’t remember being in a side that was on top of the competition this far into a season. We had some good sides that made a few grand finals, but this year is easily the best chance we’ve had to win a competition as far as I’m concerned,” she said.

“I’ve seen a lot of good players come and go from this club for a variety of reasons, but the mix we’ve got now is fantastic and it is awesome to see the young players who haven’t just made up numbers, but been important contributors.”

Parramatta were given a 4-0 lesson by Western in their first meeting this year. But they have held their own overall, winning five games and losing five so far.

They are ranked fourth on the ladder and an upset against the Mariners would give them a nice gap over their nearest rivals.

“We played quite well against them last time we met and I think we deserve to be favourites coming into this game, but we won’t be taking anything for granted and we want to keep playing the way we have been and keep improving,” Embleton said.

The two teams meet at Proctor Park from 3pm tomorrow.