Nathan McDonald knows he doesn’t need to do anything out of the ordinary to try to impress when he returns to the Braintree Town starting line-up tonight.

With Nick Hamann suspended after being sent off during the Iron’s 3-2 win at Luton Town on Saturday, McDonald is set to return to the team for their crunch Skrill Premier clash with Gateshead at the Amlin Stadium tonight (kick-off 7.45pm).

It will be the 22-year-old’s first appearance since Hamann took possession of the position at the end of October and he is keen to impress manager Alan Devonshire.

McDonald knows a good performance could see him stay as Braintree’s number one for their remaining three games as they continue to stay in the heart of the race for the play-offs but he won’t be doing anything silly as he looks to catch the boss’ eye.

He said: “When I came back into the team against Tamworth last year after a spell out I think it was one of the best games I’ve played so hopefully I can do something similar this time.

“I’ve just had to be patient and try to stay sharp while on the sidelines."

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