ACT one of Phil Parkinson’s reign was played out in the realms of Hamlet’s castle where, pleasingly, Wanderers were far from rotten in Denmark.

Shakespeare himself would have struggled to write last season’s tragedy but with a new prince on the throne a much happier tale could be about to unfold.

Jamie Proctor was the hero of the piece, rising majestically to head home a cross from fellow new signing Chris Taylor in the 90th minute.

There were some convincing supporting roles too, however, and one of last season’s supposed villains Gary Madine also caught the eye with a brilliant opening goal.

For the last week Wanderers have looked more orderly, more focused, altogether more serious about their work on the training ground. But would this translate to a game situation? To be, or not to be, as the great bard wrote.

The early signs are good. Aside from a 20-minute spell in the first half the Whites had good shape, showed energy and defensively-speaking were everything that last season’s debacle was not.

Parkinson pledged to have his team play with more width and backed it up, using Tom Walker and Kaiyne Woolery in the first half and Mark Davies and Max Clayton after the break.

Wanderers’ squad still lacks wingers in the traditional sense, and one wonders if Parkinson may have to concede his plans for 4-4-2 and play a 4-3-3 in the short term to accommodate what he has at his disposal.

Taylor looked a perfect fit when he came on for the last 20 minutes but is still playing catch-up in training.

Plans were reshuffled on the day of the game when Rob Holding pulled out with a hamstring problem, leaving Alex Finney to play an unscheduled 90 minutes. The youngster coped well, partnering Dorian Dervite and Mark Beevers in either half.

Up front Madine provided the platform for Zach Clough, a partnership which looked so promising 12 months ago in pre-season. It did so again on Saturday – particularly as Madine produced a nonchalant half-volley from 25 yards to open the scoring just four minutes in.

Helsingor got level from the penalty spot through Riel, although the reason for the award remains a mystery. A near-post corner was taken, players jumped. No visible method in the referee’s madness.

Derik Osede limped off after about half an hour with another minor hamstring pull which prompted another re-think. Josh Vela was unfortunately moved out to right-back and Filip Twardzik into midfield.

That affected the flow of the game and a surprisingly fluent Helsingor did give Ben Amos a few problems late in the half.

The Danish side are just a fortnight away from the start of their own season, where they will face Per Frandsen’s AB Copenhagen. The Wanderers legend, now fit and healthy after a heart scare at Christmas, was in the stands to watch alongside another Dane from the glorious past, Claus Jensen.

Only three players survived the half-time changes but the team which emerged for the second period immediately looked stronger.

Clayton was back out on the pitch for the first time in several months and looked dangerous cutting in from the left. Later he would move alongside number nine Jamie Proctor and look even more so.

The two combined soon after the restart with Proctor slashing a shot right across goal and Conor Wilkinson having another effort blocked at the far post.

Otherwise it was solid and steady. The officials proved a little on the fussy side – and Proctor talked himself into trouble at one point. He did protest too much.

It was great to see Jay Spearing back in a Wanderers shirt after spending so long in limbo last season, his partnership with Liam Trotter in the middle of the park warrants further inspection in this reporter’s view.

Linus Miller, the Swedish goalkeeper who has helped make up the numbers on the training ground this week, was rewarded with a late appearance.

We got used to Machiavellian plot twists last season but just as the game appeared to be fading out to a pleasing draw, out came another. Only this time, it was in Wanderers’ favour.

Trotter broke out of his own half and freed Taylor on the left and his inch-perfect cross was headed home by Proctor, whose hard work in the second half had deserved such reward.

That it should come to this? Wanderers had waited since last July for an away win of any kind – that at Port Vale in a pre-season friendly. Their last in competitive action a few months earlier at Cardiff City.

Therein lies the rub; yes this was a pre-season fitness exercise but anyone who has followed the Whites on their travels for the last 15 months must take positives where they can.

On this evidence they may come along more often.

Wanderers (4-4-1-1) Amos; Derik (Twardzik), Dervite, Finney, Moxey; Walker, Vela, Pratley, Woolery; Clough; Madine.

Second half: Amos (Muller); Wilson, Finney, Beevers, Twardzik; Davies, Trotter, Spearing, Clayton; Wilkinson (Taylor), Proctor.