The B Team ended its Central League Cup campaign with defeat to Salford City, writes Pete Oliver.
The young Whites were unable to qualify from Group A for the semi-finals of the competition after drawing their opening three fixtures.
And they saw their unbeaten recorded ended in their final group game with a single-goal loss at Lostock.
Ammies’ midfielder Alfie Bairstow got the only goal of the game 20 minutes into the second half as Salford recorded their first win in the group stage.
But Wanderers did enough to at least bow out undefeated after creating a number of decent chances.
Whites’ keeper Jack Dallimore made an excellent double-save before the break, while at the other end Harrison Fleury poked an effort just wide and Joel Torrance was also called into action in a goalless first half.
The best opportunities then came in the second half. Youth-team defender Joe Toole was a central character with an excellent run and pass which created a shooting chance for the lively Trevon Bryan, which was palmed away by Torrance.
Toole was then caught in possession as Bairstow fired the visitors ahead before looking to make amends with a shot of his own Torrance just managed to touch over the top.
From the corner that followed, Sonny Sharples then tested the Salford keeper who made another vital block to deny Fleury after he had been set up by substitute Finlay Lockett.
Lockett’s presence added further menace to the Whites’ attack, although he should have gone it alone when teeing up Fleury for another opportunity he lifted over the bar.
A brilliant Dallimore save to keep out a header from City substitute Harry Showman kept Wanderers in the contest but Andy Taylor’s side saw their last chance of staying unbeaten in the cup disappear in stoppage time which Fleury’s close-range effort went just wide of the post.
Andy Taylor’s side currently has two games remaining in the Central League and a friendly at Rangers to end their campaign.
Wanderers B: Dallimore; Toole, Hayes-Green, Halford; Sharples (Lewis 75); Westwood, Fleury, Tweedley, Frimpong; Bryan (Abimbola 77), Sithole (Lockett 62). Substitutes: Toure, Loureiro.
Salford B: Torrance, Lara, Pedro, Cucos, Curran-Nichols, Collins, Humbles, Malcolm, Davies, Bairstow, Ingram. Substitutes: Butt, Showman, Olopade, Mundy.
Pictures: Ben Livingstone