ALAN Cork’s young side went down 3-1 against Manchester United in their opening game of the Barclays Reserve League North season.

In a repeat of last week’s Lancashire Senior Cup final, in which Wanderers narrowly lost 1-0, a United side including Wes Brown, Zoran Tosic, Darron Gibson and Danny Welbeck were comfortable winners at Leyland’s County Ground.

Michael O’Halloran gave Bolton hope when he cancelled out Craig Cathcart’s third-minute opener, but Tosic restored the visitors’ advantage on the stroke of half time and sub Sam Hewson added a third with seven minutes left, though it could have been a lot more but for a host of outstanding saves by Robert Lainton in the Wanderers goal.

Wanderers: Lainton, Riley (Battersby 55), Bennett, Eckersley, (Harsanyi 28), Stokes, O'Halloran, Sheridan, McDonald, Blakeman, Mooy (Michail 71), Campbell. Subs not used: Lynch, McGeechan.

Manchester United: Amos, Brown (Eikrem 58), Chester, Cathcart, De Laet, Gray, Gibson (Hewson 58), James, Tosic (Stewart 58), Wellbeck, King. Subs not used: Dudgeon, Zieler.