TROTTERS CRUSH HATTERS TO RETURN TO SECOND TIER
BOLTON WANDERERS (4-2-3-1) Bonham – Osei-Tutu Forino Johnston Conway (76, Christie) – Simons (62, Dalby) Sheehan – Cozier-Duberry Ruben Rodrigues Gale (72, Cissoko) – Burstow (72, McAtee) Subs unused Harrington (G) Dempsey Erhahon
Yellow (0)
Red (0)
Goals (4) 1-0 (3, Rodrigues) 2-1 (64, Wootton o.g.) 3-1 (81, Dalby) 4-1 (90+4, Rodrigues pen)
STOCKPORT COUNTY (4-3-3) Addai – Dacres-Cogley Wootton Pye Edun (90+5, Connolly) – Bailey Norwood Osborn (81, Mothersille) – Stokes (65, Andresson) Barry (65, Diamond) – Sidibeh (65, Olaofe) Subs unused Hincliffe (G) Fiorini Olaofe
Yellow (2) 60, Wootton 80, Bailey
Red (1) 90+2, Dacres-Cogley
Goals (1) 1-1 (29, Sidibeh)
Crowd 42,268
Referee Josh Smith 4th Official Anthony Backhouse VAR Official Peter Bankes
Match Report
Bolton Wanderers sealed a return to the Championship for the first time in seven years as they saw off Stockport County 4-1 in front of a crowd of 48,268 fans in a sweltering League One play-off final at Wembley.
Bolton Wanderers came into the Play Off Final with three wins against Bradford City (away) Play Off Semi-Final 2nd Leg 1-0 last time out, Bradford City (home) Play off Semi Final 1st Leg 1-0 and Stevenage (home) 5-1, two draws against Huddersfield Town (home) 3-3 and Bradford City (away) 1-1 and one loss against Luton Town (home) 2-3.
Stockport County came into the Play Off Final with four wins against Stevenage (home) Play Off Semi-Final 2nd Leg 2-0 last time out, Stevenage (away) Play off Semi Final 1st Leg 1-0, Barnsley (away) 3-1 and Peterborough United (home) 3-1 and two defeats against Port Vale (home) 1-2 and Mansfield Town (home) 0-1.
Stockport County were bidding to reach the second tier for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign and would do so just four years after being promoted from the National League. This was the sixth time in club history that Bolton Wanderers had reached the EFL play-off finals across the Championship and League One, though both of their attempts at promotion in the third tier ended in defeat, losing 1-0 to Tranmere Rovers in 1991 and 2-0 to Oxford United in 2024.
Stockport County had won three of their last four games against Bolton (drawn one), keeping a clean sheet in each victory across that time. The Hatters’ three clean sheets in that run are just one fewer than across their prior 25 games across all competitions against the Trotters combined between April 1909 and November 2023. The 2025-26 League One play-off final will be Bolton’s 16th trip to Wembley Stadium across all competitions, winning seven of those matches. The Trotters had won just one of their last five however, a 4-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle in the 2023 Football League Trophy final, while failing to score in the other four.
Stockport County had lost three of their four Football League play-off finals, winning the other against Rochdale in 2007-08. They’ve lost both finals as a third tier side, against Peterborough United in 1991-92 and Burnley in 1993-94. During their play-off semi-final tie against Bradford City, Bolton Wanderers kept clean sheets in both of their matches against the Bantams, the first time that they’ve ever managed to get through the semi-final stage of the play-offs without conceding.
Stockport County had won just one of their seven matches at Wembley Stadium (drawn one, lost five), beating Rochdale 3-2 in the League Two play-off final in 2007-08. Stockport’s Corey Addai kept a clean sheet in both legs of the semi-final, while he last recorded three successive shutouts in the league in August 2024. Meanwhile, Addai kept a clean sheet in his only previous play-off final appearance – for Crawley Town against Crewe Alexandra in the 2024 League Two final.
With his strike against Stevenage in the semi-final, Stockport County’s Kyle Wootton became the second player to score 20 goals in League One (including play-offs) this season, after Leyton Orient’s Dom Ballard (twenty three). Only Reading’s Lewis Wing (twenty two) has more goals contributions in League One this season among midfielders than Bolton’s Amario Cozier-Duberry (nineteen – inc. play-offs). In the third tier this season, the 20-year-old also ranks second for dribbles completed (Sixty-eight), behind only Stockport’s Jack Diamond (eighty-nine).
The match, which was the second play off final of the weekend kicked off at 1 pm in hot temperatures of 33 degrees in Wembley Stadium. Inside the first five minutes, Bolton Wanderers led when Ruben Rodrigues slotted home following an error from Stockport County goalkeeper Corey Addai to make it 1-0 after three minutes of the game.
Stockport County had an immediate response disallowed following a VAR check after Adama Sidibeh was judged to have fouled George Johnston in the build-up. However, the striker hit back just before the half-hour mark when he flicked in a header to level to make it 1-1 in 29th minute. Kyle Wootton’s own goal put Bolton back ahead after the break before Sam Dalby’s scissor kick made the game safe at 3-1 in the 64th minute.
Rodrigues added a fourth from the penalty spot in stoppage time to make it 4-1 in 90th+4 minute after Josh Dacres-Cogley was sent off for pulling Ibrahim Cissoko’s hair. Victory for Bolton ends their Championship exile having been relegated in 2019. Stockport County, meanwhile, missed the chance to bring second-tier football back to Edgeley Park for the first time in 24 years.
It is the second time they have lost at Wembley this season having also been defeated by Luton Town in the Vertu Trophy final back in March.
Half Time Bolton Wanderers 1 Stockport County 1 (8 minutes added time)
Full Time Bolton Wanderers 4 Stockport County 1 (6 minutes added time)
