Bolton Wanderers 0-2 Oxford United: Josh Murphy steers U's to victory in League One play-off final (2024)

Oxford United will play in the Championship next season for the first time in 25 years after beating Bolton 2-0 at Wembley.

Two first-half goals from Josh Murphy secured their triumph in the League One play-off final, ensuring their return to the second tier having last played there in 1999.

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It is an achievement - led by boyhood Oxford fan Des Buckingham - made more remarkable considering they were non-league as recently as 2010, and started the final day of the season outside the play-off places.

Bolton, meanwhile, will see their wait for Championship football stretch to at least six years, having last played there in 2019. It is also their second play-off failure in a row, having crashed in the semi-finals last year.

Murphy inspires underdogs to prevail at Wembley

Oxford were undoubtedly the underdogs heading into the final, and had been beaten 5-0 by Bolton as recently as March. But lessons had clearly been learned from that result, as they started brightly and took the lead on 31 minutes, with Murphy's curling attempt from just inside the box taking a big deflection off Ricardo Santos that saw the ball sail past Nathan Baxter.

And on 39 minutes it was two. Ruben Rodrigues was the creator, with his superb, incisive pass over the top finding the run of Murphy, who rounded Baxter to slot home his second.

Ian Evatt rang the changes in the second half, but there was nothing he could do to rally his Bolton side and get them back into the game. It was a flat performance at Wembley.

But for Buckingham, raised in Oxford and a former season-ticket holder, it will be a long, joyous summer as they prepare for life in the Championship for the first time this millennium.

Buckingham: I'm proud to lead this team

Oxford boss Des Buckingham on Sky Sports Football:

"I can't sum up how I'm feeling. We didn't dream until the full-time whistle because we know how good Bolton are.

"To see what I've just seen, I haven't got the words for it. With the football we've just played there, I thought we were excellent today. I'm so proud to lead this team and I'm so proud of the players and what they've just shown Oxford United to be.

"We had a way we wanted to play against them with the ball, which I thought we executed really well with the goals that we scored. We know, out of possession, if we tried to close up some of the areas we knew they were strong in, we might cause them some problems.

"We didn't want Bolton to dictate the whole game. We could have sat back and weathered a storm, which is never good when you've got 35,000 people come to watch us, so we had to be brave. These are the moments where you have to step up and trust yourselves and back yourselves to do things.

"You're always tested if you come in mid-season. With no pre-season or staff coming in with you, it takes time. But I'm thankful to the club for giving us that time, which allowed us to go on and show what we wanted to do. The more time we now get, it's about building for the Championship now, not League One."

'Murphy stepped up when Oxford needed it'

Jobi McAnuff on Sky Sports Football:

"We speak about this place, and the expectations and the pressure. Who's going to step up and really take that challenge on?

"He [Murphy] certainly did, as did the whole Oxford playing staff and coaching staff. They executed their game plan to absolute perfection.

"This is why we love the play-offs. The team that's been up there all season, everybody's favourite coming into it - it doesn't matter. The team that produces on the day gets their reward."

Murphy: My brother keeps telling me it's my time to shine - I did today

Oxford's Josh Murphy - whose twin brother Jacob plays for Newcastle - on Sky Sports Football:

"I don't think anyone expected this. I'm lost for words.

"We were the underdogs coming into today, but we played amazingly and we're in the Championship now.

"This group is special. We knew after losing 5-0 to Bolton it was either sink or swim and everyone swam today.

"We've got such good togetherness here and everyone's just dug in. We had our backs against the wall against Peterborough and today we played out of our skin, so I'm buzzing.

"I want to play in these big moments and my brother keeps telling me it's my time to shine and I think I've done that today."

A quarter of a century later, Oxford are back in the second tier

Sky Sports' EFL Editor Simeon Gholam:

"It has been a case of near-misses lately for Oxford United, but finally they are back in the Championship - after 25 years away from the second tier.

"It seemed unlikely at one point. They started the final day of the season outside the top six, but have forced their way through to promotion.

"What a job Des Buckingham has done. Taking over midway through the season and continuing the start made under Liam Manning. They were even up against it as the underdogs against Bolton, but beat the odds again at Wembley.

"They will be minnows in a heavy-hitting Championship. They were non-league as recently as 2010. But for now they can enjoy the success and the summer. A remarkable achievement."

'Bolton were so poor'

Evatt: Our worst performance of the season

Bolton boss Ian Evatt on Sky Sports Football:

"I can't really explain it. Now's not really the time to get into too much detail. That was unrecognisable from us.

"We look at our best when we are fast, intense, aggressive, energetic and show quality with the ball - and from minute one, it just wasn't there.

"Whether it was the occasion, the pressure, I don't know, but that was not acceptable for our level. I just apologise to all the supporters who came here today and witnessed probably our worst performance of the season."

What's next?

Oxford will return to play in the Sky Bet Championship for the 2024/25 season, while Bolton will remain in Sky Bet League One for another year.