HOLYHEAD Hotspur received a blow to their Huws Gray Alliance survival hopes as prolific striker Marc Evans departed the club.

The experienced forward joined the club after a hugely productive spell in New Zealand and made an encouraging start to life at The New Stadium, netting four times and turning in a series of fine performances in his short span at the second-tier side.

Evans has now decided he cannot commit to the Holy Islanders on a prolonged basis due to work commitments, with manager Darren Garmey’s side also losing the services of Jamie Roberts and Harry Galeotti in recent weeks after they joined Glantraeth and Llangefni Town respectively.

The striker, who enjoyed successful spells at Rhyl, Llandudno and Gwalchmai before making the switch to the southern hemisphere, set a new Melville United seasonal goalscoring record by netting twice in the Unicorns’ 5-0 away win over Tauranga City United in August last year.

He scored a goal either side of halftime to take his tally to 36 for the season with four games left to play, and the hotshot surpassed Mark Cossey’s record of 35 strikes, which has stood since 1995.

The forward was a hugely significant part of the Tudno side that secured the Huws Gray Alliance campaign in 2015, finishing as the club’s top scorer to further enhance his reputation as one of the most prolific forwards anywhere in the region.