Conwy Borough boss Thomas aiming high ahead of Huws Gray Alliance return

The Tangerines host a disciplined Guilsfield on Saturday to kick-off their second-tier campaign (2.30pm), and the treble winners rounded off their pre-season fixtures with an impressive 2-0 success over Droylsden.

Prolific forward Corrig McGonigle opened the scoring with an outstanding effort from inside his own half, and the striker was on hand to double their advantage and round off the scoring from the spot just before the break after Sean McCaffrey was fouled.

He said: “There have been plenty of positives throughout pre-season and we just can’t wait to get going now.

“Yesterday’s game was the best we have played since I arrived at the club. For the first 15 minutes I was thinking ‘why did I take this friendly?’ as we didn’t see any of the ball, but Corrig’s effort was superb and the lads played some really good stuff.

“I will be expecting the same as ever from Guilsfield, who are probably the hardest working team in the league. They always seem to lose key players and have done so again but they always manage to produce quality players and it is probably the toughest game we could have faced from the start, in my opinion.

“I would have preferred to play one of the contenders early on, but we are more than ready for the challenge.”

Thomas boosted his squad further this week with the signing of goalkeeper Keighan Jones from Rhyl.

The talented shot stopper was acquired by the Lilies’ during a hugely busy summer of transfer activity, but he found chances hard to come by during pre-season due to the performances and overall influence of Rory Crowther.

“Our aims are to finish as high as we can, and now we have got the club back on a level footing and installing a more local ethos we are aiming to be the heartbeat of the community,” added Thomas.

The tangerines have also confirmed a prestigious friendly fixture scheduled for August 15, with Barclays Premier League outfit Huddersfield Town visiting Y Morfa (7.45pm).