Wanderers signed off at home in readiness for the real thing with a narrow defeat to Championship side Stoke, writes Pete Oliver.
A first-half goal from the wonderfully named Million Manhoef was enough to give the visitors victory in Wanderers’ penultimate warm-up game.
Ian Evatt’s men now head to the Potteries to face Port Vale on Saturday before launching their League One campaign at Stoke City a week later.
They do so on the back of a second defeat of the summer to opposition from the second tier.
But as against Middlesbrough in their only previous defeat of pre-season, the Whites bridged the gap for long periods without being able to make their best work count in front of goal.
There was, though, the benefit of game time for some of the players who haven’t figured as prominently so far.
And with a final chance to fine-tune at Vale Park, Wanderers remain well placed for the challenge ahead if their quest to further strengthen their squad pays off and more of their walking wounded return.
With injuries still biting – Aaron Collins and Stoke old boy Will Forrester the latest to miss out – and one of the last chances to spread the workload, Wanderers were much changed from the side that started Friday night’s draw with Fiorentina at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
Among the starters was Luke Southwood, with the summer signing able to make his first appearance in Wanderers’ goal after fully recovering from the broken fibula he suffered at the end of last season.
He might have been tested early on but in a bright start from the visitors Josh Laurent dragged a shot wide from their best opening.
Wanderers took their time to click into gear, although a couple of runs from Josh Dacres-Cogley and the quick feet of Scot Arfield provided a threat with a quarter of an hour gone.
And it was the same combination, after Dacres-Cogley had been picked out by Aaron Morley, that then produced the first strike on target as Arfield was denied by City newcomer Viktor Johansson.
Neither side had made a clear-cut chance but that changed 11 minutes before the break when Stoke created an opening and made it count.
A fine pass from Josh Laurent after Wanderers had conceded possession opened up the Whites’ defence and Dutchman Manhoef cashed in by racing clear to coolly lift the ball over Southwood with a neat finish to give City a deserved half-time lead.
The competitive nature of the contest saw three yellow cards shown early in the second half with a late challenge by Laurent on Josh Sheehan raising temperatures before Wanderers made a triple change with just over an hour gone.
Dion Charles was among those to come on as last season’s top scorer got his first taste of action since Wembley in May after recovering from a knee injury.
But while he waited for his first sight of goal, Stoke had a chance to increase their lead.
Manhoef’s pass left Emre Tezgel with just Southwood to beat but the former Cheltenham Town number-one made a superb save low down to keep out his driven effort.
That kept Wanderers in the game and within moments they could have been level.
Arfield picked out Charles in the penalty area with an excellent volleyed pass but the substitute perhaps lacked the match sharpness to capitalise as he steered his attempted finish wide.
Evatt’s men had been the better side for long periods after the break as they pushed for an equaliser.
However, it was Stoke who went close to a second goal when Lewis Baker – one of several substitutes introduced late on – curled an effort just wide to leave a one-goal margin on a night Wanderers lost little in defeat.
Wanderers: Southwood; Toal, Almeida Santos, Johnston; Dacres-Cogley, Morley (Thomason 63), Sheehan (Khumbeni 83), Iredale (Conway 63); Lolos (Adeboyejo 71), Nlundulu (Charles 63), Arfield. Substitutes: Matheson, Sharples-Ahmed, Halford.
Booked: Nlundulu, Sheehan
Stoke City: Johansson; Tchamadeu, Wilmot, Gibson, Stevens; Thompson; Manhoef, Laurent, Burger, Bocat; Tezgel. Substitutes used: Gooch, Vidigal, Leris, Sidibe, Johnson, Dixon, Lowe, Baker, Anderson.
Booked: Laurent, Bocat
Referee: Tom Kirk
Attendance: 3,512 (Stoke 688)