WANDERERS preserved their unbeaten record in pre-season, but what did we learn from last night’s win at Chorley?

Several members of Ian Evatt’s first-team squad were in action as the new League One season draws nearer, and it was a big night for Adam Senior who led out his boyhood club for the first time.

Here are three things we noticed at Victory Park.

Leading by example

What a night for Senior! The defender was rewarded for his efforts in pre-season with the captain’s armband, and he put in a performance to match.

Senior got on the scoresheet midway through the first half with a towering header at the far post. At the other end, he made a vital clearance on the line to protect the Whites’ lead in the latter stages.

It was a big moment for Senior, whose first senior goal came in a behind-closed-doors EFL Trophy tie against Shrewsbury Town last season. This time he was able to hear the roar of the Wanderers fans as the ball hit the net.

Stepping up game time

Dennis Politic, Ronan Darcy, Ali Crawford, Kieran Lee, Brandon Comley and Andrew Tutte were all in action for Wanderers last night, and Evatt will be pleased to ramp up their game time ahead of next month’s League One opener against MK Dons.

Politic’s first-half performance was particularly impressive, having spent over a year on the sidelines due to a serious knee injury. The winger looked lively, cutting in from the left and testing the goalkeeper on a couple of occasions.

Crawford also recently returned from injury, and will be looking to impress after last season's loan stint at Tranmere. The midfielder looked tidy in possession and his set-pieces are always a threat.

The future looks bright

One of the biggest positives from last night’s game was Luke Hutchinson’s performance in goal. The youngster made several good stops – the pick of the bunch being a superb double save in the first half to deny Jon Ustabasi and then Adam Henley on the follow-up.

Hutchinson looks set to get regular playing time for the reserves this season following Matthew Alexander’s loan move to Lancaster City. Hopefully, he can continue to develop over the coming season and maybe one day push for a place in Evatt’s starting XI.

And there were more signs of encouragement from the Academy, with Mitch Henry, Wes Frimpong, Max Conway, Kieran Le Fondre, Aaron Pettifer and Joel Burgess all getting time on the pitch. Evatt has spoken about wanting to see more young players break into the first-team picture, and there are certainly promising signs on that front.