IT may have been on the cards for a number of months now, but Prestatyn Town’s relegation from the JD Welsh Premier League has officially been confirmed.

The Seasiders always faced an uphill task to re-establish themselves in the top flight given their budget constraints, but they have not been disgraced and have turned in some performances in recent weeks that can give them plenty of encouragement as they prepare for life in the Huws Gray Alliance next term.

Gareth Wilson’s side must now finish the season on a positive note ahead of what promises to be an extremely important summer at the Motion Finance Stadium, and here are some key things they need to address.

Keep their star players:

After enjoying fine seasons in the top flight, there is bound to be interest in quality players operating within the Town squad and the club will need to keep them around to give them the best possible chance of achieving promotion.

Midfield playmaker Noah Edwards, Tom Kemp, defender Reece Fairhurst and Ben Maher have all shown tremendous loyalty in recent seasons, but the overtures of remaining in the WPL will be hard to resist and it will be up to Wilson and his staff to convince the squad members that their immediate future is with the Seasiders and not at pastures new.

If they and others decide to stay then it is going to be a huge moral boost to the club as a whole and will stand them in good stead for season ahead.

Re-sign Louis Irvine:

The former Guilsfield man perhaps arrived too late to make an impact in terms of their safety, but he has definitely shown enough to suggest he could be a key figure within the squad with a pre-season under his belt and more familiarity with the set-up.

Irvine is not afraid to get on the ball and try to make things happen which is a huge asset to have, while he also has the creativity to unlock defences at any given opportunity.

He has been a consistent performer with proven experience in the second tier, and getting Irvine to re-commit to Town will be a huge boost.

Sign a striker:

Damian Ketley performed admirably throughout the season and provides a physical presence along the forward line, but there is no doubt that the Seasiders missed top scorer Jordan Davies’ eye for goal as he was never truly replaced.

There is every reason to believe that Ketley will improve his goalscoring fortunes in the HGA given his past record in the division, but he will need more support than he has received during the current campaign as he has been left isolated for long periods.

With Prestatyn set to see more of the ball than they have been doing in recent months, the onus will be on them to find the net more frequently and a new signing upfront would aid their cause considerably.

Loyal leadership:

Veteran leadership from skipper Dave Hayes and Michael Parker have been the cornerstone of the club’s success for a decade, and their presence in and around the squad is going to vital as they once again have to adjust to life in the second tier.

Parker has endured a frustrating time with injuries of late but there are few better at his position when he is firing on all cylinders, while Hayes has been a hugely influential presence at the heart of the Town back four this term and has turned in a host of impressive displays.

Hopefully the pair will show the same loyalty to Wilson that they demonstrated under departed manager Neil Gibson and guide the club to even more accolades.

Stick to their ethos:

The Seasiders have been commended for giving young players from the region a platform to showcase their abilities at the highest level, and although they have fallen short of their overall objective they should not move away from this going forward.

Don’t forget that this squad walked away with the HGA title to reach the top flight just a season ago despite so much uncertainty off-the-field, which is a testament to how much of a close-knit group this is and what they can achieve collectively.

The likes of Oli Buckley and James Stead, together with others, can shine in the second tier and the passion of local players that play for the club and the impact this has cannot be underestimated.