The B Team switches focus to the Central League Cup tomorrow (Tuesday) as they look to stay in the hunt for a semi-final place.
The Whites take on Stoke City’s U21s at Lostock in their second game in Group A of the competition.
Andy Taylor’s side kicked off with a win over Rotherham and will move level on points with Wigan at the top of the group if they can record a second success against the Potters, who have lost their opening two fixtures.
Wanderers and Wigan complete the group stage when they face each other next month to decide who will advance to the last-four as group winners.
Tuesday’s fixture (KO 1pm) is again being played behind closed doors at Lostock with up-dates available on the B Team and Academy Twitter account.
The Whites – who lost for the first time in the Central League this season to Oxford United last week – are also still involved in the Lancashire FA Senior Cup and will go to Blackburn Rovers in the semi-finals on a date to be confirmed next month.
The winners will face then Burnley – in a possible repeat of last season’s final won 1-0 by Wanderers – after the Clarets beat Wigan 3-1 in their last-four meeting when England international and January signing James Ward-Prowse was among their scorers. The U18s are also looking to retain the Lancashire FA Cup – at youth level – and travel to face Burnley in the semi-finals next Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a number of Wanderers’ young players are continuing to benefit from loan moves and an extended taste of first-team football. First-team squad men Charlie Warren and Sam Inwood are playing key roles in Aldershot’s revival near the foot of the National League.
Warren has scored five goals in his last five games for the Shots, including a brace in last Saturday’s comeback win over Halifax Town. At the other end of the pitch, teenage defender Sam Inwood has made more than a dozen starts for John Coleman’s side which has won six of their last eight league games to climb out of the relegation places. The Wanderers’ pair are to remain on loan with Aldershot until the end of the season.
Altrincham are also involved in the National League relegation fight, giving valuable experienced to on-loan goalkeeper Luke Hutchinson, who has started 29 league games for the Robins so far this season.
In the division below, midfielder Sonny Sharples-Ahmed has helped Spennymoor to one win in his first two appearances for the National League North side and will be hoping to help them climb the table at AFC Fylde on Tuesday night after a wash-out last weekend.
B Team defender Sean Hogan continued his run of games for Prescot Cables in the Northern Premier League top-flight but couldn’t help the Merseysiders avoid falling to a late defeat at FC United of Manchester on Saturday. Cables travel to the North-East on Tuesday night to face Stockton Town.
In the EFL, striker David Abimbola got an instant taste of the action after joining Accrington Stanley on loan at the end of the January transfer window, coming off the bench in a win over Cheltenham Town.
However, the Wanderers’ teenager missed Stanley’s victory over Salford City as the Reds made it six wins in eight games to move towards the League Two play-off places.