Bolton Wanderers Suffer Play-Off Heartbreak
Josh Murphy's deflected strike sends Oxford United to League One
Bolton's promotion hopes dashed in Wembley final
Bolton Wanderers' hopes of promotion to the Championship were dashed on Saturday as they lost 2-0 to Oxford United in the Sky Bet League One play-off final at Wembley Stadium. Josh Murphy's deflected strike on 58 minutes proved to be the decisive moment in the match, with Matty Taylor adding a second late on to seal Oxford's victory. The defeat was a crushing blow for Bolton, who had been one of the favourites for promotion after finishing the regular season in second place. They had also beaten Portsmouth in the semi-finals, but they were unable to produce a similar performance against Oxford.
Oxford, meanwhile, were celebrating their first promotion to the Championship since 1996. They had finished the regular season in eighth place, but they produced a superb performance at Wembley to secure victory. This was a famous victory for Oxford, who had never won at Wembley before. They will now be hoping to establish themselves in the Championship and make a push for the Premier League in the future.
For Bolton, this defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow. They have now lost in the play-offs for the third time in the last five years. They will be hoping to bounce back next season and mount another promotion challenge.
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