MONMOUTH Town completed their pre-season fixtures with a trip to the former Nottingham coalfields, and a very competitive game against opponents from the Northern Premier League.

The team now look forward to Friday’s first league game against Cardiff-based Taffs Well, kicking off at 7.30pm.

Andrew Smith’s team will go into the game facing Dan Clare who left during the summer to join the Wellmen, but his side will be looking to unveil a number of their own signings.

Smith has welcomed a number of returnees in Craig Lewis, his namesake Rhodri as well as former youth team players Fred Haney, Jack Jones and Alex Hunt who will form the back bone of a resurrected reserve team under the guidance of Brian Bond.

Others will be straight into the first team squad, among them Richard Greaves from Port Talbot FC and former Colchester United left back Alex O’Leary who join local lad Mitchell Palmer released from Bristol Rovers, Academy product 17 year old Jac Hardman and Nigerian Kareem Kazeem.

The back bone as ever is provided by a large contingent of local talent led by skipper Jack Alderdice with Dan MacDonald, Nick Harry, Mitchell’s elder brothers Dean and Sam, the Fords Ashley and Elliot, ever green Aaron Davies and naturalised Monmouthian Rob Laurie. No Monmouth senior squad is complete without a Cleaves and 20 year old Luke will keep the family flame burning for a 99th year.

Throw in a few Blackburns and Jacob Guy entering his fifth year for the club and Smith is confident that his team can challenge again in another tough league.

“Losing Danny and Eliot were of course big blows for us but we’ve recruited relatively well and kept our other key players. We are of course coming back to Monmouth so the local support will be very important as it was when we won the league in 2014. But all of the teams look to have strengthened and there are no gimmes anymore even if there ever were. We’ve got four tough away games before our first game on 2nd September (v Goytre FC 6.30pm) and it’s important that we get off to a flyer. Pre season has been tough but we’re ready.”