Cardiff City left it late but a Max Watters strike maintained their 100 per cent record in pre-season with a 2-1 win over Cheltenham Town on Saturday.
The Bluebirds were forced to cope with sweltering conditions at Whaddon Road, and it was by no means a vintage performance against the League One outfit, but there was nevertheless a fair amount for Steve Morison to ponder ahead of Tuesday night's clash at Shrewsbury Town.
Here are the key talking points to emerge from Saturday's win.
READ MORE : Cardiff City transfer news as four new signings make bows and Bluebird stands out against Cheltenham Town
Fresh legs
Saturday was the first time Cardiff fans were able to catch a glimpse of four new signings in action, as well as captain Joe Ralls, with all of them playing the final 30 minutes of proceedings in Gloucestershire.
Romaine Sawyers, Cedric Kipre, Callum O'Dowda and Sheyi Ojo were all given the chance to impress and, while it's difficult to really read too much into any player's first 30 minutes of pre-season, there were certainly some encouraging signs .
Sawyers would have opened his Cardiff account were he not denied by a smart near-post save from Shaun MacDonald in the Cheltenham goal, while O'Dowda and Ojo marauded down the wings with acceptable competence, slotting nicely into a 4-3-3 system that has been so heavily favoured this summer.
Kipre looked reasonably comfortable at the back too considering he'd only arrived some 24 hours before, but we likely won't get a real feel for his defensive abilities until he's pitted up against a higher standard of opposition.
For now, it's all about getting minutes in the legs, and Morison certainly seemed pleased with what he saw.
"It's the first time Callum, Sheyi, Rallsy and Romaine have been on the football pitch this season," he said.
"They are still going to be a bit rusty, but I can't wait until we see them when they've got the rust off."
Skipper's heightened responsibilities
The number of new arrivals has understandably created a buzz, but bringing this squad together is going to be one of Morison's biggest challenges over the coming weeks.
It's for that reason that tying Ralls to a new contract may well prove to be Cardiff's most important piece of business this summer.
Not only is he the largest and most important cog of City's midfield engine room, but he's also the undisputed leader of this group.
As the only surviving member of the squad that won promotion under Neil Warnock, he's also well acquainted with the formula needed to succeed in this division. But holding this team together will be easier said than done. Ralls has seen a lot during his time here, but never has been at the centre of such a dramatic upheaval as the one being implemented by Morison. However, as captain, the importance of effectively garnering the respective talents of this squad isn't lost on him.
"We've got a lot of new bodies, so it's important that the boys who are here already make them feel welcome, and that we've got that spirit going into the new season," he said.
"I've been around two successful teams in the Championship, and both of them have been made on that real team spirit, going the extra mile for each other. That's something that we want to try and have this year. They are really good lads as well as good footballers, so we're excited going into the new season."
Colwill absent again
One man who we've not yet seen over the pre-season period is young Wales international Rubin Colwill, and there was no sign of him again here.
There's not yet been any official explanation into his absence over the last few weeks, although rumours of a hamstring injury have started to do the rounds. Rubin's brother Joel has managed to catch the eye this summer, although his runout for the under-21s meant he was never going to make the trip on Saturday.
Joel could well be one whose progress is worth keeping an eye on over the coming months, but it's Rubin who everyone is hoping for big things from over the coming campaign.
Given his unexplained absence, it seems unlikely he will be involved against Norwich City on the opening day.
Watters' renaissance continues
It's not been an easy ride for Max Watters.
Many Cardiff fans can still see him sat there, staring out into space, in the depths of contemplation, playing out every move of his disastrous 37-minute showing against Coventry City in his head. At any moment, you expected a tear or two to journey down the striker's sunken, crestfallen face.
In our line of work, it's very easy to stick the boot into players for poor performances, but it was honestly impossible not to feel sorry for him on that night. Indeed, when Morison insisted Watters "wasn't good enough", it was an assessment that rang true, but still felt akin to kicking a terminally ill three-legged puppy.
For us to even be talking about Watters nearly six months later is a testament to how he's responded. That night against the Sky Blues felt like the end of his time in the capital, but he has, incredibly, managed to scrape his way back into the picture.
His recent renaissance has admittedly been made easier by the departures of Uche Ikpeazu, Jordan Hugill and James Collins, but he still deserves an enormous amount of credit for the way in which he's applied himself over the last few months.
The 600 Cardiff fans at Whaddon Road seemingly appreciated his efforts, as evidenced by their demands for an Ayatollah as the striker was going through some post-match drills. With a smile, he obliged. It's a sharp contrast to that night in February, although further challenges lie ahead.
Morison still wants to get another striker on board, and there will likely still be some unease over the idea of Watters being trusted to regularly lead the line next term, but after netting his second goal of pre-season, he is surely starting to put his hand up regardless of any further arrivals.
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