Richard Taylor made a welcome return from injury to help the B Team make a winning start to their Central League campaign.
The summer signing has been out of action since picking up a groin issue in the Wanderers’ pre-season win at Hibernian in July.
But the former St Mirren defender is back in full training and improved his match fitness with a 45-minute run-out for the young Whites in their victory over Preston’s second string.
First-team squad men Nathan Broome and Carlos Mendes Gomes also featured at Lostock when goals from Conor Lewis and Sam Inwood gave Andy Taylor’s men the perfect start.
Lewis fired Wanderers ahead mid-way through a first half that saw nearly all the chances fall the Whites’ way.
Taylor himself went close, while North End keeper Li-Bau Stowell also had to save from Harry Leigh and Mendes Gomes before Lewis missed a close-range chance to double the lead just before the break.
That might have proved costly when the visitors levelled from the spot through Felipe’s penalty after the North End forward had been fouled by keeper Broome.
But Wanderers re-grouped and grabbed a deserved winner when Inwood headed home after 68 minutes and Broome made amends with a save from Felipe to get Taylor’s side up and running.
Wanderers (starting): Broome, Smith, Inwood, Grayson, Taylor, Sharples-Ahmed, Irwin, Leigh, Lewis, Mendes Gomes, Lawrence.