Comment: Shaymen hoping they can get closer to finally solving promotion puzzle

The jigsaw pieces have once again been moved around, hoping they all fit into place.

But FC Halifax Town's promotion to the Football League remains an unsolved puzzle.

If the club seemed as far away as ever during parts of last season to cracking the code, then the hope is they are now a bit closer to finding the answer.

A few things appear to be in their favour.

Wrexham and Notts County are both no longer in the same division for a start, which should mean a more open league.

Town have retained some good, young, hungry players who have a full season at National League level under their belts - Tylor Golden, Angelo Cappello, Jack Hunter, Milli Alli, Rob Harker, Jamie Stott and Jamie Cooke.

They've made some useful looking additions, such as midfielder Florenti Hoti, defender Adam Senior and wing-back Ryan Galvin.

Chris Millington and his staff should be better for the experience - good, bad and ugly - of last season. It should have taught them where they went wrong at times, and then where they went right.

But all of those points come with caveats.

Chesterfield are favourites to win the league for a reason: they've assembled a terrific squad and are the team to beat. Below them the league looks as competitive as ever, with a host of teams including Oldham, Rochdale, Hartlepool, Boreham Wood, Barnet, Bromley and York - and arguably others - all seriously eyeing a play-off push at least.

The Shaymen have again had to contend with losing some pieces of the puzzle, with Jesse Debrah, Jack Senior, Matty Warburton, Kian Spence, Mani Dieseruvwe and Harvey Gilmour all moving on.

Their talent and ability won't be easily replaced. Just like the previous summer's exodus wasn't.

Millington ended his first season by winning a trophy at Wembley - how many Halifax managers have been able to say that? - but he still has much to prove in the eyes of some supporters, who have question marks over his style of play, tactics and recruitment.

The Town boss has certainly never been in a better position to be Town boss. He has a year of experience in the role, he knows a fair chunk of his squad, those who remain from last season, very well and has spent considerably more time than last summer planning and preparing to work with the rest.

He has a clear idea of how he wants the team to play and has recruited players to fit it.

He was instrumental, working alongside Pete Wild, in bringing about three years of progress, positivity and genuine promotion hopes.

David Bosomworth will be hoping he can recreate the alchemy he and Wild produced, but will be aware it didn't happen over three weeks or three months.

It culminated after three seasons of moving around the jigsaw pieces, having to find new jigsaw pieces and eventually finding themselves agonisingly close to solving it.

Town can't afford to start as woefully as last season, can't afford to be as short of goals or have the same wastefulness with scoring chances.

There's plenty about last season that needs to be replicated, but also plenty where improvements must be made.

A lot of regular starters this season will be under 25, so they'll need to show maturity, courage and resilience, as well as demonstrate a progression from last season.

The swings and roundabouts in form from last term need to be replaced by more consistent output.

There are bigger and better squads in the National League - there always are - but there were in 2022 when Wild and Millington guided the club to fourth.

That felt as close as Halifax have for a long time to solving the puzzle.

Town aren't starting from scratch again this time round, but we'll see over the next eight-and-a-half months how close they can get.