Wanderers’ Academy sides ramped up their preparations with training-ground games at a red-hot Lostock.
The B Team lost 3-1 to National League side Halifax Town, while the Youth Team beat neighbours Atherton Collieries 4-1 in their opening pre-season friendly.
Coach Andy Taylor was pleased with the efforts of his young Whites as the B Team reached half-time goalless against a Halifax side including former Wanderers’ youngster Charlie Hayes-Green in their starting line-up.
Multiple substitutions followed in the second half as Town went on to win with goals from first-team men Tom Pugh, Jamie Cook and Owen Bray.
However, the goal of the game belonged to Wanderers’ front man Toby Ritchie, who scored a superb effort from the half-way line to briefly make the score 2-1 late on.
The Youth Team, meanwhile, made a positive start on Saturday as boss Julian Darby beds in the summer’s new arrivals.
One of them – striker Dan Ogboru – got his first goal for the Whites, with a double from Latrell Lewis (pictured above) and a Corey Nuttall strike completing the scoring as Wanderers gear up for their defence of the EFL Youth Alliance title.
The B Team faces Atherton Collieries’ senior line-up in the Whites’ first public outing of their pre-season programme next Saturday (19th July) with a 3pm kick-off at Dreams2Reality Stadium.
Pictures: Ben Livingstone