Rob Green reckons Charlie Austin is hitting full fitness at the perfect time and has backed the striker to fire QPR to play-off glory.
The former Burnley frontman spent more than two months on the sidelines with a shoulder injury, but recently returned to the fold ahead of schedule.
Austin scored a late winner in Monday's 2-1 victory against Watford to take his tally to 17 for the campaign.
And Green believes the 24-year-old is reaching his peak ahead of the end of season lottery.
He said: "Charlie's been a fantastic signing and it's no coincidence we had a dip in form when he was injured.
“I'm not blaming him for not going up automatically, but we would've had more of a chance if we stayed fit!
"He's a fantastic lad with a great attitude. When you've got someone like that you've always got a chance.
"He's had 10 weeks of doing very little because when you injure your shoulder you can't really do anything apart from sit on a bike, so your match fitness is never going to be there.
"He's still finding his feet, but Charlie can finish. He always gets one shot in a game and it's down to him to make it count.”
Green has experienced the highs and lows of the play-offs during his career.
The keeper was part of the Norwich side that lost on penalties in the final to Birmingham in 2002, but erased that heartbreak with victory with West Ham at Wembley a decade later.
“They were two very different extremes,” Green recalls. “At Norwich we nipped in on the last day of the season by goal difference.
“We beat Wolves who were well clear then lost to Birmingham. At West Ham everyone expected us to do it, and we did.”
