IT was a fantastic night for everyone involved on Friday night whether they were on the pitch, in the stands or behind the scenes.
Our first game in the WPL was certainly one to remember with a gutsy display from us filled with character and probably the best team performance since I've been with the club.
It was a togetherness and willingness to help out one another that saw us through on Friday but the night should not just be remembered for what happened on the pitch.
Our performance was a thankyou to all those who had worked tirelessly to have our ground ready in time giving up so much of their time so we could walk out in front of a fantastic crowd on the opening game of the season in a league we had earned the right to be in.
The terrific crowd provided an atmosphere which certainly helped the players and the ovation we received at the end of the game is something that will live long in the memory.

But now the focus turns to Welshpool where we will have to show exactly the same desire and commitment in order to gain a result. Now the first win is out the way I hope we can now start to improve further. The nervousness should begin to disappear and the pace of the game at this level should become more familiar as the games come thick and fast.
Despite the result and the tributes that have been paid to us we shouldn't allow ourselves to get carried away. I know we can play better football and improve further and that is what we now need to do as a squad of players.
We have set the standard now and whilst we've enjoyed the fantastic response from supporters, I hope that we can keep them coming to watch and get behind the team and contribute to hopefully more memorable moments at Bastion Road this season.

COMING on as a substitute was something Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had perfected. That ability to study a game from the sidelines seeking out weaknesses in opposing defences is what made Solskjaer so special. It was a never an accident when he came on and scored, in a similar way it wasn't an accident how many goals were scored though defenders/goalkeepers legs.
Fitting maybe that in his testimonial with the score at 0-0, his introduction saw a change in Manchester United and through Frazier Campbell's goal- a 1-0 victory. In his short time on the pitch he managed two efforts on goal, one producing a fabulous save from the Espanyol 'keeper. But that's Solskjaer, always hitting the target, always working the 'keeper.
But away from the goals on the pitch his professionalism has never been questioned and never has there been reason to. When on the bench after scoring the week before, he'd sit patiently again and wait his turn. He would always make time for supporters which inevitably after the events of 1999 there would always be a special bond. When Solskjaer began to break down after his knee troubles, supporters hearts went out to him knowing how much he wanted to be on his home ground in front of his home fans. The same you wish could be said of a current United forward.
One thing I learnt from watching Solskjaer over his time at Old Trafford was his decision making. Knowing when to shoot, when to pass and perhaps the most crucial decision of all- knowing how wrong it would be to leave. His goals were rarely scrappy tap-ins but crisp finishes from either right or left foot, headers, volleys, Solskjaer could score all sorts of goals at any one moment during a game.
But what made him a favourite with supporters was the way he always put the interest of the team and the club ahead of himself. I was there when United played Newcastle in 1998 when Solskjaer was sent off sprinting 70 yards to foul an attacker who had he scored would have all but ended United's thoughts of another title. Making the long walk off the pitch following his dismissal, Solskjaer received a standing ovation but unlike many players who have applauded the crowd in similar situations, Solskjaer kept his head down. A sending off was nothing to be proud of no matter what the circumstances.
The 'baby-faced assassin' nickname only seem to be coined by newspapers, those who watched Solskjaer knew his desire and determination were worthy of more than that title. His battling qualities were evident not only in battling defenders but battling long term injuries. In his final season many may have expected his appearances to be more of a cameo, not scoring winners against Celtic in the Champions League or Aston Villa in the FA Cup (both incidentally after coming on as sub).
And so to Barcelona...
Where he wrote Manchester United into the history books with his last gasp treble winning goal. A goal I was fortunate enough to witness there in the upper tier of the Nou Camp. A goal which came from a corner he won after chasing a long cause and earning a deflection of a German defender allowing the team a chance for glory.
When I visited the Nou Camp this year the memories cam flooding back of that night on the 26 May when Solskjaer scored to win the European Cup. Looking back now over his career the 'super-sub' theme keeps re-appearing but the truth is he was more than that. He was as good from the start as he was from the bench and where perhaps other strikers came and went who were considered better, Solskjaer outstayed the likes of Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole and Ruud Van Nistelrooy. Why? Because he was that good a player. A player who could change a game in an instant or sacrifice himself for the good of the team. A reminder that loyalty to a club can be worth more than money. In his testimonial, Solskjaer thanked United supporters.
For '99 and so many other memories, I'd like to thank you Ole.

The speculation surrounding the future of striker Steve Bowes was dismissed when the prolific marksmen recently signed on for Prestatyn Town for the forthcoming season.
Rumours were rife that Bowes was set to leave the club with a number of clubs chasing his signature and Extra Time caught up with the player to discuss the speculation surrounding his future, his views on Prestatyn's debut season in the Welsh Premier and his message to those who doubt his ability to score goals at that level.
So was Bowes close to leaving Prestatyn this summer?
"Not really no, I've been with Town since the Welsh Alliance and its great to be part of a team that has come so far so fast. Myself and Neil knew the reasons behind me not signing straight away but we were certain that I was going to be starting the season with PTFC."
Numerous rumours circulated website forums and message boards in the weeks leading to Bowes putting pen to paper at Prestatyn which has come as a relief to Bowes.
"Yes I'm very relieved to put an end to it, although I was enjoying it for a while (jokingly). At the end of the day I knew exactly what my plans for the season were so I didn't really pay attention to what was being said elsewhere."
Looking forward to the season ahead, I asked the clubs top scorer last season with 27 goals following his stunning 53 goals in 06/07 how he thought the team would do this term.
"I don't think the team will have any problems adjusting to the WPL, we will shock quite a few people this year, we play great football at times and can pass any team off the park when we are in top gear. Neath showed last year that you can do very well in your first season in this league and I feel we are capable of doing just as well as Neath did, if not better."
"As for myself, hopefully I'll be able to adapt to the different style of play its going to be in the WPL. I'll still be at the top of that scoring chart no matter what league I play in!" said Bowes with smile.
Its hard to believe that despite such a huge amount of goals, the striker is still occasionally criticised, ammunition you feel for the player to go out and prove his doubters wrong who claim the forward may struggle this season.
"My critics, they will ALL be eating their words come the end of the season. I tend not to listen to them anyway. Whether or not I net as many as the last few seasons doesn't make any difference to me, as long as the team do well is all I'm concerned about."
The words of someone who is clearly raring to go and eagerly awaiting Prestatyn's Welsh Premier League opener against Airbus on August 15 and Bowes added:
"I hope we can consolidate ourselves in the WPL and show we are not just here to make up the numbers. Doing the double over our neighbours wouldn't go a miss either!"

Last Wednesday we produced an exceptional performance to defeat a young Tranmere Rovers side full of energy and packed with technically good players.
In our first game under our new floodlights it was a terrific game of high quality football which saw us win 3-1 having been three goals to the good by half time.
There were so many positives to take from the game- the tempo of our passing and our workrate when we didn't have the ball and also how we defended at times during the second half when we were under pressure would have no doubt pleased the manager.
With our strikers having dominated the scoring so far this pre-season it was surprising that both Russ Jones and even myself managed to get on the scoresheet. My own effort was perhaps the biggest surprise after having only managed to find the net once last term and I was delighted this goal was equally high in quality.
Then to Saturday...
We were well beaten by a strong Vauxhall Motors side and was a good lesson for us in terms of the type of side we'll be facing on a regular basis this season and although I felt the 5-0 scoreline was harsh it serves a timely reminder that we need to be able to perform at a high level consistently if we're to do well this season.
The scenes both towards the end of the game and at the final whistle were regretful and borne out of a frustrating performance. As a squad we just need to move on and learn from it and look ahead to the visit of Skelmersdale to Bastion Road this Saturday.

A 2-0 win which could have been three, four or five had we taken our chances and had offside decisions go our way was another good run-out for us last Saturday against Corinthian Casuals.
The performance was workman-like against a team who didn't really push us too much, however it was a case of players getting minutes on the pitch and improving our match sharpness.
With goals from Gaz Davies and Jon Fisher-Cooke it means that in the two games we've played, all our strikers have found the net which is a great boost for their confidence and with Steve Bowes returning from holiday, the competition for places up front is fierce.
Two wins against opposition who were supposed to be 'superior' to us has perhaps brought home to the players how far we've come and it is most definitely a trend we want to continue into the season.

Congratulations to Ched Evans for putting pen to paper on a new deal at Manchester City following his impressive form for both club and country towards the end of last season. Its great to see that players from this area can go on to be successful and I hope that many more from this area go on to professional clubs.

Interest to note that Michael Chopra will receive no further action for his sending off in Sunderland's friendly against Sporting Lisbon when Wayne Rooney faced a ban following his red card against Porto two years ago.

I've wondered for some time now what it is about Michael Carrick that just doesn't make him appeal to supporters, pundits and even England managers. Two league titles and a European cup since his arrival and still his qualities are shunned for his 'faults'. His quietness is seen more as the mark of anxiety than calmness, his ability to score goals from midfield is questioned despite Scholes managing only two as did Owen Hargreaves and Anderson not scoring any (Carrick incidentally scored two).
The only reason I can find as to why Carrick may not yet have proven his doubters wrong is that despite his success, more is expected of a United number 16.

Our victory on Saturday in a 3-1 win over Prescot Cables was surprising given the game was our first for over two months.
Expecting a real challenge to get us back to match sharpness, we perhaps surprised ourselves by producing some excellent football and carrying on from last season in terms of chances created.
Also, despite having five first team regulars unavailable, we managed to field almost two separate teams without allowing the quality of our play to drop. The debut of Bevan Humphries showed that his experience may well be invaluable to us this season and adds another option to what was the best defence in the Cymru Alliance.
With players unavailable the friendly gave the opportunity for lads to stake a claim for a first team place and Gaz Davies two goals and Ben Rowley's performance in goal would have done them no harm.
And then to training...
After the performance of the lads on Saturday we were rewarded by probably every footballers worst nightmare- the bleep test. A test designed to test your fitness, will power and lung capacity its an exercise carried out up and down the country at clubs during pre-season.
I must admit I've faired better but there was a good standard set by the lads and with the games now coming thick and fast, we will hopefully see the fitness levels required for the WPL.
This Saturday we host Corinthian Casuals in a game which we will again use to get match sharpness but also to maintain a winning habit we had last pre-season and carried through to the start of the campaign.
The hard yards we put in at this stage of the season will contribute to us be raring to go once the season kicks off.

Maybe it was because I wanted to carry on straight away following last years Prestatyn Town success. Maybe it was the hangover from United's double triumph that left me wanting more. Maybe it was watching a tournament with no interest whatsoever with noone to support when they play in-gur-land. But there was something that made me really want to play this summer.
The arguments for and against have been debated on forums, on the terraces and in the clubhouses as the idea of a summer league to replace the WPL has slowly gathered speed.
After having nothing to do for the past couple of months I admit now that I've become a fan of the idea. Rhyl's Marc Lloyd-Williams spoke recently of the advantages Bohemians had ahead of Rhyl in terms of fitness through already being half way through their season and its obvious that if welsh clubs want to progress further in European competitions they need to give themselves more of a chance against foreign teams.
I personally enjoy playing in the summer, many lads don't, but for me its a welcome break from blustery conditions on boggy pitches and freezing temperatures. I feel a summer league will produce better attendances, better coverage and better football.
Would more supporters turn up to a game where they can enjoy the game without the fear of hypothermia? I'm not saying conditions at this present moment in time are fantastic, but certainly better than in winter. One mate of mine mentioned clashes with the World Cup and other tournaments but that would only last for a month at most.
Attendances would improve because those who have season tickets for clubs in the north west and cannot attend local games would do so if they had the opportunity during the summer.
The quality of football would improve I believe because the state of the pitches would be in better condition and more indusive to passing football on the ground. There would be the possibility of attracting players from the English leagues on a loan basis during the post season and if the quality of football improved then the coverage of the game would perhaps improve especially during the months where sport channels struggle to fill their schedules.
I know there are strong arguments against such a move but what I'm saying is that before we dismiss it we take the time to look at whether it can benefit the game in Wales both as a premier league and for teams competing in Europe.
A summer league maybe a big step but could well be a much needed step in the right direction for welsh football.

AT some point during this battle of wills between Sir Alex Ferguson and Ronaldo or Ferguson and Calderon or Ferguson and Schuster, something will have to give.
Surely there will come a point when the man who sent the likes of Beckham, Hughes, Ince and Kanchelskis will say: "Enough's enough."
The fiery Scotsman has said often in cases like this when players have sought to leave HIS club that it's important to keep players who want to play for United. It is with this in mind that in years gone by we would have seen Ronaldo thrown out of United to join his friend Gabriel Heinze, who incidentally saw United as a 'stepping stone'.
But Ronaldo so far is breaking the mould and Ferguson it seems for now, is allowing it.
Many United supporters look for certain things in true 'reds'. They look for passion, desire, a willingness to sacrifice themselves for the good of the team. United supporters look for players who will score equalising goals then fetch the ball from the net and rally the team to get the winner and when that winner comes, go straight up to the United supporters and kiss the badge on the shirt.
Looking back, I fail to remember Ronaldo do either.
Perhaps the treatment of Ronaldo by both Ferguson and the 'influential' Carlos Quieroz has added to Ronaldo's ego. You wonder whether the shoulder shrugging and sulking has gone on more since the departure of a certain Mr Keane.
But it has been allowed to go on. Ronaldo has been allowed to stop when his shirts been tugged and expect a decision. He's been allowed to hold his arms up in despair and look to the heavens after a poor pass when others run past him to get the ball back.
Ronaldo has been fantastic for the previous two seasons and United supporters won't ever forget the contribution he has made in terms of entertainment and of course goals. But many may view his comments about 'white kits' and 'dream moves' as a step too far.
The news filtering through now about the possibility of Ronaldo staying is another twist in what by now is a tired saga. If Ronaldo stays and lines up for United against Newcastle then will all be given? Ferguson would have, maybe even David Gill and the Glazer's; but United supporters may still ask why he didn't just say he was staying in the first place.
A phenomenal player he has been and he could go onto be the greatest ever but United supporters look at legends who wore the shirt and the badge with pride.
After this summers antics its perhaps become more apparent that all Ronaldo has worn with pride is the name on the back of his shirt.

Welcome everyone to my new blog where I will be commenting on all things football. From my experiences with Prestatyn Town as we make our debut in the Welsh Premier League to footballing matters on a national and International scale I'm likely to have an opinion on it.

Following on from last season's column in the Visitor, I hope you will enjoy my comments and reactions as the 08/09 season fast approaches and the anticipation builds. Only this time, you can have your say by leaving me a comment and letting me know what you think about football whether you've just got back from a Welsh Premier, English Premier or Blue Square Premier league match drop me a comment.

Enjoy pre-season and don't worry there's another fantastic season of football just around the corner.