A Wanderers B side, fielding a number of first team players, played out a 1-1 draw against Stoke City U21s at Clayton Wood training ground.
With the season just around the corner and a number of first team players getting further minutes under their belt ahead of the new campaign, this fixture was the perfect opportunity for Wanderers ahead of this weekend's trip to Leyton Orient.
Luke Southwood, Jack Iredale, George Johnston, Chris Forino, Will Forrester, Aaron Morley, Dan Nlundulu and Dion Charles all were named in the starting line-up, looking to build up match fitness with Stoke City providing a decent test.
Charles gave Wanderers the lead midway through the first half before a big rotation of players in the second half, which saw Stoke's Dara McGuiness grab an equaliser inside the last 15 minutes.
Wanderers controlled the ball in the early stages and manufactured a brilliant set piece opportunity on 13 minutes from the delivery of Morley. His free kick was swung towards the back post where Forrester headed the ball back across for Johnston, but his half volley went just wide.
Four minutes later, the hosts had a set piece of their own but Josh Bickerton’s curling effort had too much on it and flew past Southwood’s far post.
Wanderers made their pressure count in the early stages and took a deserved lead on 23 minutes when Johnston was fouled in the area due to a late sliding challenge. Charles stepped up to drill the ball down the middle to put Wanderers one up.
Nlundulu was inches away from earning a clear cut opportunity shortly after the goal, but a vital intervention from City defender Badley-Morgan denied the Wanderers' attacker.
The home side came into the game and came close to equalising on 39 minutes when Chinonso Chibueze crossed from the left to Dean Adekoya but his header flew wide of Southwood’s goal.
With a number of changes made by Wanderers after the break, the game took a while to get back into it's flow. However, Max Conway came closest to doubling the lead for the Whites when meeting Harrison Fleury's ball in but his effort came off the post and away.
Stoke grew into the game after the substitutions and won the ball high up the pitch through Dara McGuiness on 75 minutes and his strike from outside the area crashed against the inside of the post and rolled into the net.
Three minutes before the end, Dubem Eze ran through the Stoke defence with an incredibly skillful run but his effort was grasped by the hands of Cooper as the spoils were shared at Clayton Wood.
Stoke City U18s: Cooper; Bickerton (60’ Gyimah), Badley-Morgan (67’ Agina), Dixon, Mears (67' Powell); Gromek, Lipsuic; Chibueze (46’ Matondo), Smith (60’ Griffiths), Willox; Adekoya (60’ McGuiness).
Subs: Brooks
Wanderers B: Southwood; Iredale (46’ Conway), Johnston (60’ Inwood), Forino (46’ Halford), Forrester (60’ Hogan), Matheson (72’ Weston); Morley (60’ Fleury), Khumbeni; Bryan (46’ Eze), Nlundulu (67’ Sharples); Charles (46’ Trialist).
Subs: Dallimore