Alan McDonald could be forgiven if he sneaks a look at the Irish FA Premiership table in his quieter moments.

If he ever needed cheering up a swift glance at the current standings would surely help.

With 16 games of the league campaign gone his Glentoran side lead the way with a five points cushion — although second-placed Linfield have a game in hand — and that should be enough to bring a smile to the face of any Oval regular.

McDonald’s focus remains unerring though. Staying at the top and building on that lead is much more important to the Glens boss as he prepares to enter a crucial phase in the title race, with half a dozen league games between now and New Year’s Day — all of which are sure to have a bearing on the table.

“I don’t really pay much attention to the league table, certainly not at this stage of the season when we’re less than halfway through the campaign,” said McDonald.

“It’s been funny because the top of the table has changed so much and is changing constantly.

“A few weeks ago Crusaders were at the top, then Linfield were there. Crusaders took over again for a week or two and now it’s us.

“Things haven’t settled down really and although we are top by five points at the minute it counts for nothing.

“Yes, it’s nice to be there and we’re enjoying being at the top, but I am more concerned with getting performances and results than the look of the table.

“By the time the end of February or the beginning of March comes around it’s a different prospect.”

McDonald, who will be looking to at least consolidate that five point lead tomorrow when he takes his team to Coleraine, knows what he needs from his team if they are to be crowned champions at the end of the campaign, but he is aware that getting it is a different scenario altogether.

“The key is consistency,” said McDonald.

“If you can strike a level of consistency then you will do well and everyone knows that it is the team who remains the most consistent that will come out on top.

“It’s about consistency of performance and consistency in results as well that determines who wins the title.

“How you do that is a different question, but I am largely happy with how consistent we have been.”

Consistency is one thing that the Glens haven’t lacked in the calendar year of 2008.

Since losing on the first day of the year against Ballymena United, McDonlad has tasted league defeat just once — away to Crusaders last month.

Unfortunately for the Glens football is played in seasons and not years, so they will have to go on as good a run at the start of 2009 in order to have green, red and black ribbons tied to thr Gibson Cup — a fact that McDonald knows only too well.

“We took 34 points out of 36 at the end of last season and the run we had was phenomenal,” he said.

“The facts speak for themselves though, we finished three points behind Linfield and they were champions, but we’re striving to turn that around this season.”