Canberra FC applied their counter-attacking game to perfection to stay in the hunt for the ACT National Premier League title.
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English striker Thomas James bagged a brace after Josip Jadric opened the scoring in a clinical 3-0 win against the FFA Centre of Excellence at Deakin Stadium on Sunday.
The win moves Canberra FC to third on 29 points and within striking distance of league leaders Tigers FC (33 points) and Belconnen United (30 points).
Tigers FC are in the box seat for the league championship, but they know they can't afford a slip-up against the FFA COE on Thursday night.
The same goes for Canberra FC and Belconnen United, who square off in a crucial mid-week encounter at McKellar Park on Wednesday night.
Having been on the wrong end of a 6-3 scoreline earlier this season, Canberra FC coach Zoran Glavinic knew they needed to take a different approach against FFA COE this time.
"They're very technically sound and they know how to keep the ball, so that was our idea - squeeze them up a little bit higher and get them on the counter," Glavinic said.
"We probably should have gone on and scored a few more goals.
"Today's over, we got three points and we work towards Belconnen on Wednesday and see what happens there."
Canberra FC capitalised on a couple of blunders from FFA COE goalkeeper Duro Dragicevic.
Jadric pressured Dragicevic into turning the ball over in the 16th minute and fired his shot into the bottom right corner of the net.
The lead was doubled in the 26th minute when Dragicevic had a mis-communication with one of his defenders with the back-pass ending up at the feet of James, who dribbled it over the goal-line.
James put the result beyond doubt in the 90th minute with a classy strike from inside the box.
FFA COE technical director Peter De Roo said there was plenty for his young group to work on before they embarked on a tour of Argentina on Friday in preparation for this year's under-17 World Cup in Chile.
"Disappointed with the result, but with our effort, we spoke about winning the ball back after we lose it," De Roo said.
"I thought that was second to none because whenever Canberra had the ball they coughed it up again.
"We were a little bit naive on the counter and we created those two chances with our mistakes."
In Saturday's games, Tigers FC defeated Canberra Olympic 3-2, Belconnen United thumped Tuggeranong United 5-1 and Woden-Weston FC beat Monaro Panthers 4-2.
ACT NATIONAL PREMIER LEAGUE
Sunday: Canberra FC 3 (Thomas James 26', 90', Josip Jadric 16') bt FFA Centre of Excellence 0 at Deakin Stadium on Sunday.
