First-half goals from Adam Le Fondre and Sammy Ameobi gave Bolton Wanderers a victory in the final match of their pre-season campaign against Peterborough United at the ABAX Stadium.
Wanderers enjoyed plenty of possession during the early stages against their League One opponents but it was the hosts who almost broke the deadlock through Matt Gooden whose header was pushed around the post at the expense of a corner.
Shortly afterwards, Alnwick was forced into making a brave save at the feet of Jason Naismith after he initially spilled a powerful drive from the midfielder as Peterborough began to up the pressure.
But the visitors took the lead after 14 minutes thanks to Le Fondre finishing off a classy move that was instigated by the on-loan Yanic Wildschutt.
The Dutchman picked the ball up and charged 15 yards before slotting the ball into the path of Le Fondre, who finished into the bottom corner, poking past the advancing Aaron Chapman for his second strike of the pre-season.
Wanderers doubled their lead in sensational style ten minutes later thanks to the sublime left foot of Ameobi. The winger was 30 yards out when he unleashed a rasping left footed curler that went over the line off the underside of the crossbar. The goal had everyone in the ABAX Stadium off their feet and applauding the strike that would grace any game at any level.
And two almost became three when Jason Lowe seized possession and threaded through Clayton Donaldson. The big striker showed aplomb to spin and turn away from his marker, but his strike lacked the power and placement to beat Chapman.
Meanwhile, at the other end, Cummings should have done better with a shot that failed to trouble Alnwick.
Andrew Taylor shaped up for a volley for what would have been his first goal in a Wanderers shirt, but his effort was blocked at the expense of a corner.
It was all Wanderers as the half drew to a close and Wildschutt was the next to try his luck from distance with a 30-yarder flying just wide.
The hosts won a corner barely a minute into the start of the second-half when Gooden’s volley deflected wide but the chance came to nothing as Alnwick came off his line to comfortably gather the corner.
Both sides struggled to create any further chances with play being centred around the middle of tha park.
Peterborough’s best chance of the period came off George Cooper’s left footed free-kick which had Alnwick scampering to his right hand post but the ball went inches wide of the upright.
Just moments later is was a case of action replay with an identical free-kick from Cooper going wide once again.
This sparked some life into the hosts who sensed blood but the Wanderers defence held firm.
Parkinson made his first substitution on 72 minutes with Craig Noone coming on for the impressive Wildschut.
And Noone was soon involved with a wicked free-kick that narrowly evaded everyone at the far post.
Erhun Oztumer and Will Buckley came on for the goalscorers Ameobi and Le Fondre respectively with ten minutes remaining, while Hall replaced Donaldson with five minutes remaining.
Hall earned a late corner for Wanderers when his shot was deflected behind but the hosts broke from the resulting corner and earned a free-kick on the edge of the box .
The chance sparked a defensive scramble with Wanderers eventually clearing their lines.
It was a good victory for Parkinson’s men against tough opponents and brought down the curtain on Wanderers’ pre-season campaign.
Wanderers: Alnwick, Olkowski, Beevers, Wheater (C), Taylor, Lowe, Vela, Wildschut (Noone 72), Ameobi (Oztumer 80) , Donaldson (Hall 85), Le Fondre (Buckley 80)
Subs Not Used: Williams, Hobbs, Little, Darby, O'Neil, Edwards, Pritchard, Earing