Three years to the day since their last friendly meeting ended goalless, Wanderers and Everton again played out a repeat of the first competitive fixture staged at the stadium, writes Pete Oliver.
The 0-0 draw in the Premier League in September, 1997 was a rather more historic occasion than the first of Wanderers’ two home warm-up games ahead of their Championship return.
But this was still a beneficial outing for the Whites who matched their top-flight opponents in a lively encounter that saw Steven Schumacher pit his wits against the club where he started both his playing and coaching career and doubtless learned plenty more with just two public work-out to go before he leads Wanderers back into the real thing.
Wanderers gave first home starts to four of their summer signings as the promotion winners returned to the Toughsheet Community Stadium for the first time since their Wembley triumph.
And with the first competitive fixture of the new campaign just a fortnight away, Schumacher gave his starting line-up the full first hour to further find their legs and potentially gel.
Against top-flight opposition – who employed most of their available senior players at some stage of the afternoon – Wanderers acquitted themselves well in a performance lacking only a goal.
The Championship new boys were the most progressive side in the opening half-hour, Josh Sheehan helping bridge the gap and Ruben Rodrigues testing Mark Travers – deputising for absent England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford – with a dipping strike that promised to extend his recent scoring streak.
Xavier Simons also nodded wide from a cross from ex-Liverpool youngster Luca Stephenson before Stephenson went close himself when Simons returned the compliment.
Wanderers’ new-look back four, with Ben Davies and Akin Famewo controlling the left side, looked assured, although there were chances for the visitors as they finished the first half on top.
Thierno Barry met an excellent Dwight McNeil cross with a header he steered just wide before the Everton striker, who had one effort disallowed for off-side, was denied by Jack Bonham’s superb save moments before the break.
Bonham also made a decent save from Merlin Röhl in a second half featuring wholesale changes to secure a confidence-boosting clean sheet, while the nearest Wanderers came to breaking the deadlock saw Sam Dalby force Tom King to touch his header over the bar from Famewo’s fine cross.
There were final flurries from both sides as Malek Olayiwola forced Bonham to beat out his long-range effort and Marcus Forss – training with the Whites as he regain full fitness following the injury that curtailed his loan spell last season – hit the side netting. But despite the lack of a winner Wanderers, who finished with a handful of academy graduates in the line-up, will be happy with their afternoon’s work as the countdown continues with a trip to Fleetwood Town in mid-week followed by next Saturday's visit of Dutch outfit NAC Breda.
Wanderers: Bonham; Stephenson (Christie 78), Forino (Inwood 70), Davies (Temple 60), Famewo (Conway 70): Dong (Ritchie 60), Simons (Irwin 78), Sheehan (Watson 78), Gale (Warren 70); Rodrigues (McAtee 70); Dalby (Forss 70).
Booked: Forino
Everton: Travers (King HT); O’Brien, Tarkowski (Finney 82), Branthwaite (Keane HT); Röhl (Foster 73), Armstrong (Mykolenko HT), Iroegbunam (Graham 73), Aznou (George, HT); McNeil (Olayiwola 82), Alcaraz (Dewsbury-Hall HT); Barry (Beto 52).
Referee: James Bell