RHYL turned out for their first pre-season friendly last weekend when they suffered a 3-0 defeat at home to Altrincham.

The Lilywhites began their new-era against a very accomplished side and had plenty of positives to take from the friendly fixture, and sports reporter Dean Jones attended the tie and gave his thoughts on what he took away from the contest.

The Peate/Fairhurst partnership:

Defenders Max Peate and Reece Fairhurst were two of the bigger names to arrive at the Belle Vue Stadium during a busy summer of changes, and early indications show that they are set to form a formidable partnership at the centre of the Lilies’ rearguard.

The pair looked very comfortable playing alongside one another and communicated well with each other and the rest of the side, and Dan Sullivan’s presence could see Maurice-Jones switch to a back three in the near future and this will certainly be experimented with in their friendly fixtures, but initial signs looked very good for the former Gresford Athletic and Prestatyn Town stars against a very strong Altrincham side.

Big year ahead for Pierce:

There is little doubt that when he is firing on all cylinders then Pierce is one of the best young talents in the region, and he turned in a very polished display on his return to the Lilywhites that will give the new management team plenty of encouragement for the season ahead.

He looks in fantastic shape considering we are in the early stages of pre-season, and the ex-Denbigh Town standout covered every blade of grass during the friendly clash which is further evidence of Pierce’s commitment to the cause.

Maurice-Jones and Richard Williams-Cooke seem to get the very best out of the young midfielder and much of their success will be dependent on how Pierce performs throughout the season.

Mike Pritchard’s link-up play:

A recent signing from Cefn Druids, Pritchard already looks like he is going to play a huge contributing factor in any silverware that comes the Lilies’ way at the end of the campaign.

His link-up play from just off the front man really caught the eye, especially in the first period, and having a player like him that can link midfield and attack to allow advancing runners time to get forward and make something happen at the business end of the field.

Brother Craig may have decided to join Colwyn Bay, but Pritchard has the potential to be equally as influential if first indications are anything to go by.

The Pomeyie enigma:

There is absolutely no questioning the outstanding natural talent that Pomeyie possesses, but you cannot help but walk away feeling a little frustrated whenever he takes the field.

He has the ability to be a real difference-maker providing he is more confident on the field, and Pomeyie needs to utilise his superb skill and pace to beat players moon a more regular basis in order to maximise his overall production.

There is definitely something there with him, but whether Maurice-Jones and his staff decide it is a gamble worth taking remains to be seen.