Josh Murphy was United’s two-goal hero as they beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0 within the League One Play-Off remaining at Wembley this afternoon. Each objectives got here within the first half as Oxford deservedly too their place within the Championship for subsequent season.
United made one change to the edges that beat Peterborough United within the semi-finals, with native boy – and Oxford’s longest-serving participant – Sam Lengthy coming in for Fin Stevens, who was named among the many substitutes.
Within the very first minute Lengthy made a crunching, however completely authorized, sort out on Paris Maghoma that left the Bolton ahead requiring remedy. Oxford gained the sport’s first nook within the fifth minute, because of Tyler Goodrham’s surge ahead.
That was the sample for the primary 10 minutes, with United faster to each free ball and snapping into tackles. Oxford appeared comfy passing the ball across the huge Wembley pitch, whereas the press pressured Bolton into occasional errors, notably when Mark Harris chased down a free again go that Nathan Baxter reached simply in time.
When Bolton did threaten for the primary time within the seventeenth minute, Lengthy made a terrific block to disclaim Maghoma earlier than Josh Sheehan shot huge from distance.
An Oxford assault within the twenty fourth minute after Goodrham and Owen Dale exchanged passes ended with Ruben Rodrigues firing huge as Oxford continued to ask the extra pertinent questions.
Their good work paid off within the thirtieth minute when Murphy picked up the ball on the left and drove into the Bolton space. He ignored a pull on his shirt and fired in the direction of the highest nook, his shot taking a nick off the pinnacle of Ricardo Santos and previous Baxter to provide United a deserved lead.
It was Murphy who then doubled the benefit earlier than the break as he ran previous the final defender to latch onto a ball excessive from Rodrigues, take it previous Baxter and slide it house from the tightest of angles to spark delirium within the away finish (and presumably the press field too).
United knew that Bolton would come at them firstly of the second half, which would depart gaps for the Yellows to take advantage of, and so it proved simply 5 minutes in, as a Wanderers nook was cleared to permit Murphy to interrupt free. Regardless of the intimate consideration of the Bolton defenders, Murphy took the ball deep into the opposition half earlier than being dispossessed, maybe not completely legally.
One other break on 57 got here courtesy of a Rodrigues interception, permitting Harris to play an inch-perfect ball for Murphy to run onto. He took the ball into the penalty space earlier than sliding it previous Baxter however simply huge of the far submit to disclaim him a hat-trick.
There was unhealthy information for the U’s simply after the hour as Brannagan went down for the second time in fast succession, feeling his hamstring. The talismanic midfielder was unable to proceed, permitting Marcus McGuane the chance to take to the Wembley turf.
It was a well-recognized story moments later as McGuane’s first contact was to clear a nook into the trail of Murphy. Once more he raced the size of the pitch into the Bolton space however this time Baxter was equal to his shot and he saved it on the expense of a nook.
Bolton continued to search for a approach again into the sport, and United continued to thwart them. One other breakaway led to Dale being introduced down proper on the sting of the realm, with VAR confirming it wasn’t a spot kick. Bennett stepped as much as whip in a depraved shot that had Baxter scrambling to palm it huge.
One other probability fell Murphy’s approach with ten remaining as Lengthy crossed from the fitting and the Oxford goalscorer rose highest however could not direct his header heading in the right direction.
Because the clock ticked in the direction of 9 minutes of stoppage time, the Yellow finish of Wembley have been in full voice, singing ‘We’re going up’. And so it proved.
That is it for 2023/24. See you within the Championship subsequent season.
Attendance: 70,472
Report: Martin Brodetsky
Photographs: JasonPix, Steve Edmunds