Thierry Gale stepped up his comeback with a stunning strike as several first-team men were given a run-out in the Whites’ Central League win.
Gale hasn’t figured since early October due to a knee injury but played for an hour at Lostock and set Wanderers on their way to victory with a lovely first-half goal.
The wingman picked up the ball out wide and after cutting inside curled a 25-yard effort into the top corner – reminiscent of his goal against Sheffield Wednesday in the Carabao Cup earlier this season.
John McAtee then doubled Wanderers’ lead and made the points safe with a 75th-minute penalty as the Whites extended their unbeaten start in the league to move level at the top of the table.
Andy Taylor’s side was helped on this occasion by a strong starting line-up featuring nine senior players as boss Steven Schumacher took the opportunity to give them some competitive game time ahead of busy schedule which will see Wanderers play eight times before the turn of the year.
Midfielder Ethan Erhahon – who has also missed the last six games through injury – made a welcome return with a 45-minute appearance, while Richard Taylor, Joel Randall, Will Forrester, Charlie Warren and McAtee benefitted from existing run-outs.
A blow to the mouth curtailed Chris Forino’s afternoon early but everyone else came through unscathed as Wanderers eased to victory.
McAtee also headed against a post from substitute Mark Isong’s cross and got himself on the scoresheet when he converted from a penalty awarded for handball.
Despite a spell of pressure the Whites couldn’t add a third and Tyler Miller was pressed into action late on to make a couple of tidy saves to safeguard his clean sheet.
Despite a spell of pressure the Whites couldn’t add a third and Tyler Miller was pressed into action late on to make a couple of tidy saves to safeguard his clean sheet on a useful afternoon for the senior men and some of the youngsters, notably Harley Irwin who impressed in midfield.
“We always say whenever there's first-team players involved, as long as it's done properly which it was, it's a positive all round,” said B Team boss Taylor. “It’s great for our lads to play, not just with first team players, but also against first team players.
“Harley's in midfield against some senior players and the exposure in terms of that is brilliant and is a really good learning one for them.
“It petered out a bit in the last 20 minutes when all the changes came on but before that I thought it was a really good competitive game and done the right way.”
The B Team is now heading towards a fixture break but with a number of young players out on loan – Connor Lewis the latest to go out in a temporary move to Wythenshawe Town – the emphasis will be on trying to get first-team experience for more members of the squad.
Taylor added: “At the start of the season we had loads and loads of games and loads of different tests, playing against Category One Academies and non-league teams, trying to give them as much of a broad, varied programme as possible.
“Now as we get deeper into the season, there's a lot going out on loan and gaining experience and developing in a different way, learning about men's football, learning about the accountability of it, the ruthlessness of it, the realness of it, which is great.
“Again, it's a different way in terms of them developing and after Christmas it'll probably come back round and they'll probably come back in the building. It’s just the journey of a young in terms of them developing.”
Wanderers: Miller, Hogan (Leigh12), Forrester, Forino (Tutte 20), Taylor; Irwin, Erhahon (Trialist HT), Randall (Ritchie 60), Gale (Isong 60), Warren, McAtee.