Saturday’s clash with the reigning Premiers Central Coast Mariners at Bluetongue gives the Reds the perfect opportunity to pull away on the points table and no one, least of all Fyfe, is ruling out grabbing the double.

But the defender says that after twice being Championship runners-up, it is the elusive finals title that gives the side extra spine going into every encounter this season.

“Adelaide have won the league and done so well in the Champions League in the past but we’ve never actually lifted the toilet seat up and claimed it as our own," said Fyfe who won the Championship with Sydney FC in 2006

“That’s our main goal this year. That’s what drives us at every game in those last 15 minutes, 20 minutes. We feel like this year’s our time and we keep on giving towards winning that.”

Nowhere was that more evident than when Fyfe returned to Allianz Stadium last weekend to face-off against his former club.

With just two minutes left in regulation time, and the game heading towards a 1-1 draw, Adelaide heaped more pressure on the struggling Sky Blues with a Dario Vidosic winner to take all three points.

Pointing to the mental strength of the squad, Fyfe added: “(Last weekend) the atmosphere was building up and building up, you could see Sydney possibly scoring another goal.

“I think in years before that would happen and an Adelaide team would have crumbled but this year it’s a different story.

“We are kind of thriving off that pressure a little bit – that willingness to win and play right to the end and to always get a result.”

Adelaide will take on the in-form Mariners under, what is expected to be, sweltering conditions and without their captain and goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic, currently on Socceroos duty, and Dario Vidosic out with injury.

Central Coast Mariners have their own personnel problems with goalkeeper Mat Ryan and playmaker Tomas Rogic making Holger Osieck’s final cut for the East Asian Cup qualifiers.

But despite the crucial omissions on both sides, Fyfe declared the battle of the table-toppers a “huge opportunity” in the Reds’ quest for silverware.

“We can go five points clear of them,” he said. “They’re a very good team – it’s always hard to go there and nick a result.

“But look for us it’s one of those games where you don’t get a result and all of a sudden you’re back in the pack. If you do get a result you’re in a clear situation where you’re pulling away.”

The 30-year-old gave much of the credit for Adelaide’s strong season start to John Kosmina who, he says, has learnt from past setbacks and emerged a better coach.

Fyfe worked under Kosmina at Sydney FC and says while the coach still has the hairdryer in his arsenal he rarely resorts to it.

“I can certainly see a change from when I had him at Sydney,” he said. “He’s looked to maybe where he’s possibly gone wrong in the past and tried to adjust for that and I think it’s a sign of a good coach.

“I suppose he’s a little bit more mellow in difficult situations. When things are going wrong or we haven’t played as well as we could this year he’s taken probably a different route in terms of how he approaches the situation with the players.

“He’s come to a solution in a different manner instead of maybe in the past he was a little bit more aggressive with that. Now he’ll speak to the players a little more calmly and tell them exactly what he wants in a more calm manner and I think that’s the main adjustment that’s I’ve noticed.”

Fyfe is among a long list of United players coming off contract but makes no secret of the fact he wants to stay put.

“Hopefully we can sort something out,” he said. “I’d prefer to stay here in Adelaide – I’ve enjoyed my time here, I’ve enjoyed the club and I want to win titles here.”