COMMENT: Optimistic bubble is burst after Lakeland departs The Shay

Just when Pete Wild had Town finishing fourth with a fantastic squad, he was lured elsewhere.

Just when Chris Millington had, not for the first time, overcome huge hurdles to achieve a play-off finish, he called it a day.

And just when Adam Lakeland had built an exciting, hungry squad that offered real promise for next season, the shock announcement came that he'd left to join Morecambe.

His departure raises questions about why Lakeland found the prospect of working for a team in the league below, for owners who have been widely derided, more appealing than staying with Town.

Recent interviews saw Lakeland discuss the backing he felt was needed, particularly off-the-pitch, to take Halifax to the next level.

Do we assume that his move means he didn't receive the assurances he wanted?

And what does that mean for the calibre of manager The Shaymen will be able to attract next? Maybe that whoever it is will need to come into the job with both eyes open to the limitations and restrictions they will be workng under.

Those parameters have arguably seen off the last three managers, with Wild seeing the grass was greener at Barrow, and Millington feeling in need of a long-overdue break after an energy-sapping three years trying to turn water into wine.

It was presumed Lakeland was just 12 months into his own three-year journey with the club, and based on evidence from his first season, the second promised lots of reasons to be - that dreaded word - optimistic.

Lakeland made some outstanding signings in the shape of Shaun Hobson, Cody Johnson, Jay Turner-Cooke, Will Harris and Josh Hmami, taking advantage of the lush new Shay surface to produce some fantastic football.

Ultimately Town fell short in the race for the play-offs, despite Will Harris having the best season for a Halifax striker since Lee Gregory over a decade ago and, at one stage, The Shaymen enjoying their best run of form since October 2016.

The general consenus is that Town would have been in a great position to launch an even stronger bid for the top seven next season, and that Lakeland was the man to steer it.

But the balloon has burst. All the rebuilding, cajoling and constructing that Lakeland did a year ago now needs to be done all over again by someone else.

Immediate questions centre on whether assistant manager Sam Walker will follow Lakeland to Morecambe, and if so, how many others in Town's backroom team will too?

And what impact will Lakeland's departure have on the club's chances of keeping its squad together and retaining their star players?

As for Lakeland's replacement, Darren Kelly's disastrous, short-lived reign showed that all it takes is one wrong move for The Shaymen's fifth tier status to come under threat.

Chairman David Bosomworth has got it spot on in his last three choices, but that streak must continue if that seemingly elusive, fleeting feeling of optimism is to be restored.