Skipper leads by example — Gee

SAM Gee believes Lewis Palfrey’s captaincy skills will play a big part in guiding Oldham out of Championship One.

Looking ahead to Sunday afternoon’s top-v-second clash with North Wales Crusaders at Whitebank, Gee described his 23-year-old captain as “mature beyond his years” and said he was a very influential figure in the heat of battle.

Gee (26) said: “As vice-captain and one of the older players, I like to think some of the boys look to me for guidance. But in the main I can just concentrate on my own game because Lewis has his finger on the pulse.

“He’s very mature in how he thinks, plays and communicates with the team. He’s a great captain.”

Gee isn’t alone in starting to produce his best form of the season at just the right time. He puts it down to the way the squad has been coached and managed by Scott Naylor and Lee Spencer since last November.

“Sunday’s game is massive,” he said. “Crusaders are favourites to finish top because of their two games in hand, but if we beat them they’ll start to feel a bit of pressure.

“We felt they had a bit of luck on their side when they nicked it 22-20 at Wrexham, so we definitely owe them one.

“Our fans are loud and proud, and we’ll need them to be at their best because Crusaders will have big support.

“We’ve grown and developed as a side as the season has gone on and I think we are better now than we were seven weeks ago when we ran them so close. They lost at Hemel and didn’t have things all their own way at Oxford, so we hope to really test them.”