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Wanderers’ B Team drew 2-2 against Atherton Colls in their penultimate pre-season workout before the new campaign.
The young Whites went two up after goals from a trialist and Sam Inwood either side of half time, but the non-league hosts managed to get back into the game.
Andy Taylor’s starting line-up featured two trialists, with a third named on the bench. Several players featured who have been around the first-team squad in recent weeks including Nelson Khumbeni, who managed to get on the scoresheet at Chorley.
Wanderers started brightly and took an early lead when a trialist lashed home from close range after Colls had failed to clear their lines.
The home side nearly provided an immediate response when Max Bardsley-Rowe got in behind the backline and tried to life the ball over the onrushing Ellis Litherland, but his effort bounced wide of the post.
Inwood dragged an effort wide before Litherland made a smart stop at the other end to keep out Edan Bailey’s low drive.
The Bolton goalkeeper was again called into action moments later to deny Bardsley-Rowe from a tight angle, although the Colls man seemed to be in an offside position.
The end-to-end nature continued as Ajay Weston flashed wide from a tight angle after getting down the left flank.
Wanderers’ attacking trialist had another sight at goal after using his strength to hold off a defender, but this time he could only fire at Jack Buckley.
The young Whites had more joy down the left as the half went on, with Weston setting up Trevon Bryan who forced Buckley into another fairly straightforward save.
Joe Toole then played a clever through ball to slip in the other trialist, who took up the right wing-back role, but a Colls defender made a vital challenge as he was about to pull the trigger.
Khumbeni was keen to build on his goal at Victory Park but on this occasion the midfielder couldn’t keep his strike down after combining with Bryan.
Lewis Mansell looked to get the hosts back on level terms minutes before the break but failed to hit the target after swivelling inside the box.
The second half started in similar fashion to the first as Inwood doubled Wanderers’ advantage with a superb strike from distance that flew in off the bar. The officials took a moment to debate whether the ball had crossed the line before eventually awarding the goal.
But Colls were handed a lifeline when Litherland was judged to have handled a mis-hit backpass and the referee awarded an indirect free kick close to goal.
Adam Dawson provided a clever finish to dink the ball past the defenders charging towards him and get his side back in the contest.
Substitute James Westwood thought he had restored Wanderers’ two-goal cushion after his curling strike nestled into the far corner but the offside flag came to the hosts’ rescue.
The attacking trialist continued to cause problems, flashing a header wide after getting on the end of a decent cross from the right.
The equaliser came when Wanderers were caught out by a long ball from the goalkeeper and a Colls trialist kept his cool to find the back of the net.
Bailey thought he had completed the comeback after catching a volley sweetly but Litherland made an impressive stop above his head.
Dubem Eze, who was also introduced from the bench, went on a good run in the final stages but could only drill an effort wide as he searched for a winner.
Taylor’s side wrap up their pre-season schedule against Stoke City Under-21s at Clayton Wood on Tuesday, August 6 (1pm).
Litherland, Toole, Halford, Inwood, Trialist, Khumbeni, Fleury, Sharples-Ahmed, Trialist, Bryan, Trialist. Subs: Dallimore, Hogan, Westwood, Irwin, Eze, Trialist.
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