Wanderers continued their pre-season preparation with a comfortable win which earned them the Harold Taylor Memorial Trophy, writes Pete Oliver.
The Whites’ return to Victory Park after a one-year absence saw the traditional silverware handed out and collected by manager Ian Evatt as two penalties, an own-goal and a Nelson Khumbeni strike saw Wanderers ease to victory over their non-league neighbours.
Aaron Morley and Victor Adeboyejo were the pair on target from the spot early in each half as Evatt’s men went on to score three times after the break to collect their second win of their pre-season programme.
Tougher tests now follow against Fiorentina and Stoke City back at the Toughsheet Stadium.
But this was still another useful work-out to sharpen the fitness in front of an excellent crowd of almost 2,500 as the build-up towards the start of the League One campaign on 10th August continues.
Wanderers gave a breather to Josh Sheehan following his commitments with Wales earlier in the summer and his minutes so far in pre-season as Scott Arfield and Morley started in central midfield.
And the tidy Morley made his mark just three minutes in with the opening goal from the penalty spot after a downward header from Will Forrester was handled in the box.
Wanderers, with youngsters Luke Matheson and Max Conway filling the wing-back berths for the opening half, started brightly and a slick build-up saw Collins fire over the top following a pass from Klaidi Lolos.
Collins also created a chance for Conway with a deep cross the 20-year-old steered wide on the volley and Lolos nodded an effort off target as Wanderers, predictably, had most of the ball.
But Chorley – building up for another season in National League North after losing in last season’s play-off semi-finals – had their moments and went close when Kole Hall fired a low effort just wide before Joel Coleman had to react smartly to keep out a flick from Momodou Touray just before the break.
Wanderers made four changes during the interval and started the second half as they had the first with a goal from a corner, this time deflected into his own net by substitute Jack Sampson, who had started his career with the Whites ahead of spells with Morecambe and Macclesfield Town.
The third goal then came from one of Wanderers’ substitutes as Khumbeni drilled the ball home after being picked out by B Team forward Ben Andruecci.
Sampson almost found the target at the other end with a header he planted just wide before Wanderers then made their planned further seven changes after an hour to again share the minutes.
Defender Jack Iredale was one of those to come on to make a welcome first appearance since the end of last season after recovering from injury.
And with Wanderers on top they added a fourth when Trevon Bryan – who made the most of his second-half opportunity – was fouled in the box and Adeboyejo took on the spot-kick duties to increase the lead and end the scoring with 20 minutes to go.
Wanderers: Coleman (Baxter 60); Forrester (Halford 60), Almeida Santos (Toal HT), Johnston (Iredale 60); Matheson (Dacres-Cogley 60), Arfield (Sharples-Ahmed 60), Morley (Thomason 60), Conway (Bryan HT); Lolos (Khumbeni HT), Nlundulu (Adeboyejo 60), Collins (Andreucci HT).
Chorley: Urwin, Henley, Smith, Wilson, Clarke, Nolan, Horbury, Calveley, Rice, Hall (Sampson HT), Touray.
Substitutes used: Doumbouya, Sampson, Boateng, Brindle, Preece, Birchall.
Referee: Mike Crushma
Attendance: 2,455