With a number of the B Team squad on first-team duty a tough test awaited Wanderers in their opening pre-season friendly as they narrowly lost out.
The young Whites competed well to fight back and lead with goals either side of the break, including a fine Dubem Eze strike, before two more goals from the hosts ultimately gave the Northern Premier League side victory.
Wanderers were put under early pressure and after just seven minutes it needed a magnificent Charlie Hayes-Green clearance off the line to prevent the Linnets from taking the lead through Ryan Brooke.
Five minutes later Runcorn went in front from a Lewis Doyle corner which was swung into the near post for Jacques Welsh to head home the opening goal.
After 28 minutes Wanderers went hunting for an equaliser through Sean Hogan as he stormed into the area but saw his strike saved by Bayleigh Passant.
The Whites' pressure told, though, as they got themselves level through a Runcorn own-goal. A drilled ball in from the right found Eze in the area. His effort was saved but the ball ricocheted onto Runcorn defender Peter Wylie and flew into the net to put the game level at the break.
The impressive Eze was at the heart of the action again as Wanderers took the lead on 52 minutes. A thunderous strike from outside the area was too strong Passant, who got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out.
A minute after the hour mark Runcorn levelled the score once more. Trialist A for the hosts headed the equaliser over the line from close range following a corner which Jack Dallimore couldn’t keep hang onto.
Wanderers’ substitute David Abimbola ran through the host’s defence on 80 minutes but couldn’t keep his eventual shot down as Andy Taylor's youngsters looked for a winner.
But shortly after that attack, Runcorn scored their third of the evening to clinch victory as Welsh drove into the box from the right wing before laying the ball off to Adam Moseley, whose effort found the roof of the net.
Eze came close to scoring the goal of the night as he took aim from distance but a terrific save from Passant denied Wanderers a leveller in a highly useful and competitive work-out for Taylor's side in the first of their warm-up matches.
Wanderers B: Jack Dallimore; James Westwood, Sean Hogan, Charlie Hayes-Green, Sam Inwood, Trialist; Andrew Tutte, Harley Irwin; Harrison Fleury, Dubem Eze; Trialist.
Substitutes used: Joe Toole, Jamie Grayson, Oliver Smith, Emile Oliver, Harrison Rice, Harry Leigh, David Abimbola, Daeshon Lawrence.