Bolton Wanderers 4-1 Stockport County: FLW reports as Trotters thump Hatters to seal Championship return

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·24 May 2026

Bolton Wanderers 4-1 Stockport County: FLW reports as Trotters thump Hatters to seal Championship return

FLW reports from the League One play-off final as Bolton Wanderers and Stockport County locked horns under the Wembley arch.

Bolton Wanderers secured their return to the Championship after seven years away with a resounding 4-1 victory over Stockport County at Wembley Stadium.

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Bolton needed less than three minutes to get their noses in front. Poor goalkeeping from Stockport's Corey Addai allowed Mason Burstow to pounce on the loose ball after Thierry Gale's effort was parried into his path, squaring it to Ruben Rodrigues, who turned it home.

The Hatters thought they'd equalised less than 10 minutes later when Adama Sidibeh left George Johnston in a heap after a long ball forward, but after consulting VAR, the goal was ruled out for a foul on the Bolton defender.

Despite this setback, Dave Challinor's men kept probing and would find the equaliser moments before the half-hour mark. Odin Bailey's superb cross was guided home by the head of Sidibeh, who finally had his deserved goal.

Bolton got their noses back in front in the 63rd-minute through a disastrous own goal by Kyle Wootton. Amario Cozier-Duberry's initial shot was tipped across goal by Addai, and the Stockport talisman was in the wrong place at the wrong time, turning the ball into his own net.

With less than ten minutes to play, substitute Sam Dalby wrapped up a stunning day for the Trotters in the Wembley sunshine, acrobatically finishing off John McAtee's flick on.

Josh Dacres-Cogley then gave away a penalty and was sent off in stoppage time for pulling Ibrahim Cissoko's hair inside the box, which Rodrigues thumped home to send Bolton back to the Championship for the first time since 2019.

Bolton Wanderers 4-1 Stockport County

The game got off to the perfect start for Bolton who took the lead inside three minutes. Thierry Gale's initial shot was pushed away by Addai, but Burstow managed to pounce on the rebound, squaring it to Rodrigues, who turned it home at the third time of asking.

County responded less than 10 minutes later, or so they thought. A long ball forward saw Johnston seemingly trip in pursuit of Sidibeh, which allowed the striker one-on-one with Jack Bonham, and he made no mistake with the finish.

However, the joy was short-lived as Josh Smith disallowed the goal after consulting VAR, deeming that Sidibeh had tripped Johnston in the build up.

Bonham was then called into action just before the half-hour mark when Wanderers handed Bailey the ball inside their own box. A deflection from Johnston gifted Josh Stokes an opportunity to strike at goal which was well-saved by the Irishman.

It wouldn't matter for long though, as County finally levelled two minutes later. A pinpoint cross from Bailey was glanced home by Sidibeh, leaving Bonham absolutely no chance in the Bolton net.

Wanderers tested Addai from distance again five minutes after conceding. Cozier-Duberry lined up one of his trademark curling strikes which the Hatters goalkeeper held onto.

Jordi Osei-Tutu then almost scored what would've been one of the greatest play-off goals on the stroke of half-time. The defender won the ball back inside his own half and marauded all the way to the edge of the Stockport box, where his shot was well blocked by Wootton.

After eight minutes of stoppage time, referee Smith brought the first half to a close. It was an enthralling watch for the neutral with both sides showing their teeth going forward, but ultimately neither could find the goal that would give them the lead.

The start of the second half was very similar to that of the first, with Bolton applying the pressure inside the opening five minutes, whilst Sidibeh continued to be a live wire for Stockport, as he forced a corner with another quick break.

Rodrigues had a chance to double his tally for the afternoon 10 minutes into the second half. Great work from Gale allowed the winger to get to the byline and pull it back to the Portuguese midfielder, who curled a shot just wide of the far post.

Makeshift centre-back Wootton was lucky to escape a sending off on the hour mark when his teammates played him into trouble on the halfway line.

A loose pass from Stockport was contested by the 29-year-old and Rodrigues, with the former sliding in and getting none of the ball, stopping the break but earning a yellow card for his troubles.

Not even five minutes later, Wootton would be involved again, but not how he'd have hoped. A shot from Cozier-Duberry was parried back across goal by Addai, and the defensive stand-in unfortunately touched the ball into his own net to restore Bolton's lead.

Substitute Cissoko forced a save from Addai not long after his introduction when he wriggled his way to the byline and tried to squeeze his effort in at the near post.

The resulting corner was recycled into the box by Wanderers, with Josh Sheehan's deflected whip teeing up Chris Forino, who's close range effort was caught by Addai.

In the final 10 minutes of normal time, Bolton wrapped up their Championship return in style.

Substitute McAtee headed the ball into the path of Dalby, who executed a stunning acrobatic volley to put Steven Schumacher's side within touching distance of a Championship return.

Things went from bad to worse for Stockport in stoppage time. Ex-Trotter Dacres-Cogley was sent straight off for pulling Cissoko's hair inside the box, giving the Lancashire side the chance to add a fourth from the spot.

Rodrigues stepped up and sent Addai the wrong way, adding his second goal of the afternoon and guaranteeing Bolton a place in the Championship next season.

As the final whistle sounded, the Bolton end of Wembley descended into raptures. After seven years away from the second tier, Schumacher had finally ended years of anguish with an emphatic victory under the famed Wembley arch.

As for Stockport, it was yet more Wembley misery. The Hatters lost the Vertu Trophy final just a month before, and were left with the sombre feeling of defeat at the final hurdle once again, with the national stadium proving to be a thorn in Challinor's side.