IT was always going to be difficult for Prestatyn Town on their return to the JD Welsh Premier League, and this proved to be the case.

The Seasiders endured a season of frustration that saw them finish at the foot of the standings, and Gareth Wilson has a big summer on his hands as he looks to lead the club into a new era following the departure of long-serving manager Neil Gibson.

Their budget was nothing like some of the other teams operating within the top flight, so they were on a hiding to nothing from the outset to a degree, and although they are returning to the Huws Gray Alliance after just one season they can hold their heads high in terms of the effort they put in throughout the campaign.

The quality of their play under Wilson has been hugely encouraging, especially during the second half of the campaign, and although results have not gone their way they have continued to express themselves in the right way, which is what got them promoted in the first place.

Goals, or the lack thereof, were a huge problem and Town were left counting the cost of not replacing Jordan Davies with the right sort of quality to give them a fighting chance.

While 30-goal-a-season strikers do not grow on trees, their distinct lack of firepower in the face of some encouraging build-up play during the majority of their games was a huge contributing factor in their relegation, and this should be priority number one for Wilson as he looks to mount another promotion tilt next term.

There is some undoubted quality within this squad that gave opposing teams plenty to think about, with many showing they belong at WPL level despite it being their first season operating at the top of the Welsh pyramid.

The chances of holding on to playmaker Noah Edwards are probably slim given the amount of promise he has shown this season, but the likes of Ben Maher, James Stead, Reece Fairhurst and Tom Kemp will be key to any success they have next term and their commitment is going to be crucial.

There is going to be a huge void in the Town dressing room and in their rearguard with the retirement of long-serving skipper Dave Hayes, and the presence of Michael Parker is going to be more key now than ever if the Seasiders are ever going to get back to prominence.

The midfielder endured a frustrating season on the injury front but he is one of the most gifted players anywhere in the region, and his familiarity with the club and his ability to lead is going to be vital to keep at the Motion Finance Stadium.

There have been some memorable nights along the way, with their 4-2 win over runners-up Bangor City expected to live long in the memory, while they also claimed a notable success over Barry Town United, who managed to secure a place in the Europa League playoffs.

With a new chairman expected to be announced in the coming weeks, it promises to be a very intriguing summer ahead for everyone associated with the club, and with the Huws Gray Alliance set to be more competitive than ever next year thanks to the demotion of the Citizens, the decision-makers must get things right so they can hit the ground running and get them back to where they feel they belong.