WANDERERS suffered their first defeat of pre-season as Joe Garner rattled a hat-trick in a behind-closed-doors game at Wigan Athletic.

Played at the Latics training ground at Euxton, Ian Evatt used the game to give some of his younger players time from the start – but despite the unfamiliar line-up, the head coach will see plenty to improve upon before the real business begins against Bradford City a week on Saturday.

Ex-Liverpool and Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam was also given his first start of the summer, playing just under an hour.  

Wigan have unquestionably had a tough summer but some of their Championship quality shone through at the start of the second half to give the scoreline an emphatic look which should bring some cheer to their long-suffering supporters.

For Wanderers, who have been bouncing along optimistically the last six weeks, there is perhaps some food for thought for Evatt and his coaching staff as they look to get their whole squad fit and prepared for the new campaign.

Callum McManaman gave the Latics a good start, finishing smartly from just inside the box after a lay-off by Gary Roberts after just five minutes.

The reply was swift – new signing Jamie Mascoll again getting wide to swing a cross in for Delfouneso, whose header bounced in off the woodwork.

Wanderers could have taken the lead when Tom White spread the ball wide for Mascoll and his cross was nearly turned in by Ali Crawford.

Just after the half-hour mark, Garner gave Wigan a lead they never relinquished. Kai Naismith’s corner was glanced in by the former Preston North End striker – who came close to joining Bolton in 2017 - for the first of his hat-trick.

Garner nearly grabbed his second less than a minute later, another header bouncing off the post, and Bolton had Matt Alexander to thank for preserving parity on the stroke of half time as he pushed aside a stinging effort from the ever-dangerous Naismith.

Wanderers brought off two of their only senior players at the break – Ronan Darcy and Callum King-Harmes replacing Crawford and Delfouneso – and within a few minutes of the restart, the home side started to impose real superiority.

Garner produced an acrobatic to steer Naismith’s cross past Alexander and then just a minute later grabbed his third with a long-distance effort.

Evatt made significant changes to steady the ship, bringing on the likes of Brandon Comley, Ricardo Santos, Liam Gordon and Antoni Sarcevic, at which point the game levelled out again and Wanderers enjoyed significantly more possession.

Wigan also made half a dozen changes as the tempo ebbed and then stole a fifth goal with eight minutes left as a trialist substitute pounced on a loose ball in the box after the Whites had struggled to clear their lines.

Wanderers (3-4-1-2): Alexander; Brockbank, Senior (Taft 56), Delaney (Santos 56); Hickman (Jones 56), Trialist (Sarcevic 56), White (Comley 56), Mascoll (Gordon 56); Crawford (Darcy 46); Trialist, Delfouneso (King-Harmes 46).