Two goals from Sonny Sharples were not enough to give the B Team a winning return to action in a training-ground bounce game against AFC Fylde.
Sharples struck twice in the opening 20 minutes as the Whites made an impressive start at Lostock.
But a rocky spell either side of the break allowed the visitors to hit back and secure victory as a late spell of pressure from Wanderers failed to produce an equaliser.
Dave Gardiner stepped up to take the team along with Andrew Tutte following Matt Craddock’s interim move into the Whites’ senior coaching set-up.
Wanderers included senior keeper Joel Coleman to give him some game time following a recent return from injury, while Luke Matheson also started following his recent action around the first team.
And Matheson was heavily involved as Wanderers made a flying start with a goal after just 90 seconds.
The combination of Ben Andreucci and wing-back Matheson was behind most of Wanderers’ best attacking moments in the opening half and from the first of them Matheson picked out Sharples to control the ball on the edge of the box and drill a low shot into the bottom corner.
The trio were then involved again as Sharples (above) produced another tidy finish to make it 2-0 and when Matheson delivered once more from the right, the midfielder was only inches away from a hat-trick as he looked to convert at the far post.
Trevon Bryan also saw a chance saved by Fylde keeper Max Metcalfe, but the National League side – a mix of young players and a handful with first-team experience – also had opportunities at the other end.
Wanderers created some of their own problems and three times Coleman had to be alert to make sharp saves before former Chesterfield midfielder Joe Rowley slotted home to pull a goal back just before the break.
The Whites then made a poor start to the second half and were punished when Siyabonga Ligendza equalised from the penalty spot following a foul by Coleman and substitute Alfie Westhead swept in a cross to put the Coasters 3-2 ahead.
Wanderers made a number of changes which helped spark them back into life and were then unfortunate not to hit back and earn a draw.
A trialist striker saw one effort pushed onto the bar before being denied again by Metcalfe.
And Fylde’s on-loan Middlesbrough keeper was the key man as he made another fine save from Harrison Fleury – fresh from a hat-trick last weekend for the U19s - before a double stop denied fellow youth-teamer Daeshon Lawrence a late leveller.
The B Team resumes its Central League Cup campaign next Tuesday with a visit from Huddersfield Town B.
Wanderers: Coleman; Halford, Yoro (Hogan), Hayes-Green; Matheson, Sharples (Irwin), Tweedley (Fleury), Inwood; Loureiro; Andreucci (Lawrence), Bryan (Trialist).
AFC Fylde: Metcalfe, Barrett, Muscart, Bird, Meadowcroft, Glynn, Bailey, Ustabasi, Ligendza, Rowley, Ormerod. Substitutes: Clark, Westhead, Ferraira, Morris.