TODD MacRae will make a long awaited return for Hawkesbury City Football Club at the weekend, after missing all but half a game because of injury.
The Hawks are in the finals hunt, after beating three of the top four teams in recent weeks, and on Sunday, August 2, there will be a crucial match.
The round 19 clash in the Men's State League 1 will be against Inter Lions, which has the same number of points as the Hawks.
If the Hawks want to make the finals, beating the Lions will be a big first step.
Coach Dean Bertenshaw said the return of MacRae was a massive boost to the team ahead of the match.
"He has a couple hundred games at the top level and is a very experienced player and his presence will help the young ones along," he said.
"We've had a decent month so hopefully we can keep going."
Bertenshaw said Lions striker Daniel Fogarty would be a handful to contain.
"He would be one of the best strikers in the league at this level," he said.
"Last time he came down to this league he scored 24 goals in the season."
The Hawks went down to Dulwich Hill 2-0 on Tuesday, July 28, in what was the last of the scheduled catch up games.
Bertenshaw said it was disappointing to go down, but also said it was the end of a tiring period for the club, which saw it play six games in three weeks.
He said with the last of the catch up games over, he felt the players would be fresher, and have a chance to push for a finals position.
