Bolton Wanderers 4-1 Stockport County: Trotters Crush Hatters to Return to the Championship

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 was 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 had 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 matches against the Bantams, the first time they had ever managed to get through the semi-final stage of the play-offs without conceding.

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 (23). Only Reading's Lewis Wing (22) has more goal contributions in League One this season among midfielders than Bolton's Amario Cozier-Duberry (19, including play-offs). In the third tier this season, the 20-year-old also ranks second for dribbles completed (68), behind only Stockport's Jack Diamond (89).

Bolton Wanderers manager started with a 4-2-3-1 formation with Bonham in goal, a back four of Osei-Tutu, Forino, Johnston and Conway, two central midfielders in Simons and Sheehan, three attacking midfielders in Cozier-Duberry, Ruben Rodrigues and Gale, with Burstow the lone striker up front.

Stockport County manager started with a 4-3-3 formation with Addai in goal, a back four of Dacres-Cogley, Wootton, Pye and Edun, three central midfielders in Bailey, Norwood and Osborn, and three forwards in Stokes, Barry and Sidibeh.

The match, the second play-off final of the weekend, kicked off at 1 pm in hot temperatures of 33 degrees inside 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.

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 at 1-1 in the 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 81st minute.

Rodrigues added a fourth from the penalty spot in stoppage time to make it 4-1 in the 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 was the second time they had lost at Wembley this season, having also been defeated by Luton Town in the Vertu Trophy final back in March.