THINGS might not look it at the moment, but Prestatyn Town are still in the driving seat when it comes to their overall fortunes.

The Seasiders’ ran away with the JD Cymru North title during a sensational campaign last season, where they exceeded lofty pre-season expectations to finish 16 points clear of Flint Town United.

Their promotion dream is now officially over after they failed to obtain their Tier 1 Domestic Licence, and although this was a mammoth blow, it would be a huge surprise if they were not in the thick of things once again next term.

Manager Neil Gibson knows exactly what is expected to win this division. He dragged the club out of the relegation zone to convincing champions in an 18-month period, and his ethos is something that has brought tremendous success to the Motion Finance Stadium during his two spells at the helm.

There will be little time to reflect on their achievements given the relatively short timeframe between now and next season, providing it is able to start on time and social distancing measures are relaxed.

This current squad of players has been immensely loyal to Gibson over the years, and if the majority can stay together then they should go into 2020/21 as the title favourites once again.

They will already be without the services of Jordan Davies and Danny Davies, who recently left the club, and other will probably command some interest given the impact they made last season.

Gibson is all-too-aware of this and will be working hard with new owner Jamie Welsh to ensure that he has a squad capable of mounting a challenge. The second tier is expected to be competitive once again next term, but this was said the same time last season and it did not prevent Town from completely dominating from start to finish.

The campaign might have ended on a sour note, but that should not detract from what an exceptional one it was for the club. Not only did they win the championship in convincing fashion, but they also claimed plenty of top-flight scalps in knockout competition on their way to a semi-final berth in the JD Welsh Cup.

There is a good structure I place at the club with the likes of Martin Jones, Leon Field and Leigh Williams, and there are plenty of good people behind the scenes to ensure that this is going to be a minor setback in their pursuit of top-flight football once again.