Matt Oakley full of praise for prolific striker Matty Fryatt
Fryatt bagged his sixth goal in nine games with a penalty leveller in Tuesday night's 1-1 draw with Peterborough at the Walkers Stadium.
His spot-kick strike ensured City stayed within touching distance of the play-off places in seventh spot, just behind Saturday's opponents, Watford, on goal difference.
Skipper Matt Oakley believes 23-year-old Fryatt has ensured it has been a good start, rather than an indifferent one, for City.
Oakley said: "Matty has continued where he left off last year, and maybe that is the difference.
"He is a big player for us. He banged in 30-odd goals last season and he has six already this time."
The City skipper says Fryatt remains unfazed even when he misses opportunities, such as the sitter he squandered in the first half of the Peterborough match.
Oakley said: "He is a quiet lad and you don't get too much from him. But this year I have seen that when he is getting chances and he misses one, he keeps going.
"His head doesn't go down and he doesn't show it in his body language. He is very positive." Fryatt bagged 32 goals last season and Oakley said that has been the catalyst for his encouraging start to this season's campaign.
Oakley said: "At this level, if you get a chance you have to take it and, if you do, it gives your defence a bit of confidence and you go on and win games."
He said the League One title success has allowed confidence to flow through the whole team.
However, he admits City did well to recover from what he admitted was the toughest first- half they had experienced in their opening seven games as they trailed to a Peterborough goal and could have fallen further behind.
Oakley said: "They were probably hungrier than us in the first half and probably thinking of the 4-0 defeat they suffered here last season and didn't want that to happen again. We were a little bit slack and we got punished for it."
City went behind to a George Boyd penalty and Oakley said: "When I first saw the incident (Wayne Brown's challenge on Aaron Mclean) I thought it was a penalty but I have seen it on television from a different angle and it doesn't look too much of a penalty.
"It looks a little bit harsh. But the referee is the one that makes the decision and you have to live by it. Luckily for us, we got a penalty and evened things out."
Former Norwich forward Darren Huckerby has retired from the game after suffering a hip injury while playing in America. The 33-year-old's contract with the San Jose Earthquakes runs out at the end of the Major League Soccer season but he has decided to call it a day after undergoing surgery.
