Wrexham's 2025-26 Championship opener ultimately ended in heartbreak, but the 2-1 loss to Southampton at St Mary's Stadium provided heaps of positives for boss Phil Parkinson.
All but one of the Red Dragons' eight summer signings to date made their debut against the Saints (only injured midfielder George Thomason missed out) - with six playing from the outset.
And while the result was gut-wrenching having conceded twice late on, the new recruits wasted no time in proving they will make their mark this term.
Josh Windass arrived having netted 13 times in the Championship for Sheffield Wednesday last season, and he needed just 22 minutes to get up and running as he tucked away a penalty as Wrexham capitalised on their impressive start against Will Still's side.
It came shortly after the 31-year-old curled an effort against the crossbar from outside the box, further typifying his goal threat.
His tally of four shots was double that of any other Wrexham player in the league opener, while he also made a key pass and won two fouls.
Operating in between forward Kieffer Moore and his side's three-man midfield of George Dobson, Matty James and Lewis O'Brien, Windass did plenty of defensive work as the hosts controlled possession for long spells while he linked up beautifully with Moore early on.
It was in fact Moore who won the spot-kick for Windass' opener, with the Welshman being shoved over by Ronnie Edwards.
The towering frontman excelled in the opening half an hour or so, winning free-kicks for fun as his throwback style messed with the heads of those in Southampton's backline while he also contributed two key passes - more than any other Wrexham player.
Defensively, he also chipped in with two tackles and made a clearance, though, unfortunately, Parkinson is now sweating on the 33-year-old's fitness after he was withdrawn on 54 minutes with an ankle injury.
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It was no surprise to see the visitors lose their way in the aftermath of Moore's withdrawal, and Parkinson's verdict summed up why the club forked out £2m for the 49-cap Wales star's services.
"We've lost Kieffer, which is obviously a blow. His performance was outstanding, everything we know he brings to us," he said.
Slightly deeper, O'Brien slotted in seamlessly on the left of a midfield three, with even the Duracell bunny envying the former Nottingham Forest man's energy. Crucially, he backed up effort with quality.
O'Brien's pass accuracy of 76.5% was the best of any player in Wrexham's starting 11. He also contributed a key pass, made a successful dribble and won two free-kicks.
Defensively, he made a tackle, one clearance and an interception - playing a starring role in Wrexham's ability to keep Southampton at bay for almost the entirety of regular time.
Still only 26 years of age, O'Brien could well be a key cog in Wrexham's midfield for some time.
At the heart of Wrexham's back three, Conor Coady produced a display that may leave Leicester fans scratching their heads.
Granted, he spurned a glorious chance to put the away side ahead from close range early on, but regarding his defensive duties, he was simply magnificent.
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The ex-England international's tallies of 10 clearances and three shots blocked were both the most of any player on the pitch. Coady also won one aerial duel and made one tackle, while his biggest contribution was to be on red alert to prevent Adam Armstrong from scoring a first-half tap-in.
Behind Coady stood Wrexham fan and Wales international Danny Ward - who was helpless as both Ryan Manning and Jack Stephens scored late on.
Ward looked relatively untroubled until the final stages - dealing well with Southampton's aerial threat while being alive to the danger as the Saints cranked up the pressure in the second-half.
The battle between Ward - who Parkinson described as "first class" - and Arthur Okonkwo could prove tasty on the training ground this season.
The other debutant to start saw Liberato "Libby" Cacace operate at left wing-back.
The New Zealand international got forward well enough in the opening half but was held back far more as the contest wore on - with the away side seeking to protect their slender lead.
Nevertheless, Cacace still won two fouls and made one key pass while defensively he contributed two clearances, one tackle and won one aerial duel.
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Elsewhere, Ryan Hardie came off the bench to replace Windass in the 72nd minute to round off the day's debutants.
With the Saints firmly on top by this point, the Scot was limited to chasing scraps and attempts to slow down the home side's advances towards the Wrexham goal - with Hardie making one interception and a clearance.
Unfortunately, the former Plymouth frontman was spectacularly denied by the fingertips of Gavin Bazunu just three minutes before Manning bulged the net with a sublime free-kick.
But both he and fellow substitute Sam Smith will get more chances to impress - particularly if Moore's injury is worse than feared.
So all in all, there was massive encouragement for Parkinson, not least from his new arrivals who demonstrated that Wrexham's ability to recruit remains on point, even though the club finds itself operating three tiers above the level they were at as recently as 2022-23.
