Sam Dalby scores a scissor kickPA

Sam Dalby's superb scissor kick made the game safe for Bolton

Jay Freeman
BBC Sport England at Wembley Stadium

Bolton Wanderers sealed a return to the Championship for the first time in seven years as they saw off Stockport County in a sweltering League One play-off final at Wembley.

Inside the first five minutes, Bolton led when Ruben Rodrigues slotted home following an error from Stockport goalkeeper Corey Addai.

Stockport 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.

Kyle Wootton's own goal put Bolton back ahead after the break before Sam Dalby's scissor kick made the game safe.

Rodrigues added a fourth from the penalty spot in stoppage time 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, meanwhile, miss out on the chance to bring second-tier football back to Edgeley Park for the first time in 24 years.

It is the second time they have lost at Wembley this season having also been defeated by Luton Town in the Vertu Trophy final.

Tough conditions

Stockport players cool downShutterstock

Teams had cooling breaks in each half as temperatures soared

A Bank Holiday heatwave meant that the temperature at Wembley rose to 30 degrees celsius by the 13:00 BST kick-off.

With Sunday's final taking place over two hours earlier than the Championship play-off final, most of the pitch was bathed in hot sunshine for the full 90 minutes.

And it was not only the scorching weather that followed on from Saturday's final - but a goalkeeping error that led to the first goal.

Thierry Gale's tame 30-yard strike was parried by Addai into the path of Mason Burstow, who pulled the ball back into a dangerous area and Ethan Pye cleared the ball straight to Rodrigues who duly made no mistake in front of goal.

That opener looked to have been cancelled out by virtue of Sidibeh's cool finish following Stockport's first attack of the game.

It was chalked off by referee Josh Smith after a pitchside monitor check as he concluded that Johnston had been on the end of a "careless foul" in the lead up.

Stockport bided their time and they were rewarded when former Bolton man Dacres-Cogley sent in a pearler of a cross to Sidibeh whose fine header beat Bolton goalkeeper Jack Bonham.

Whereas the first half was a war of attrition in soaring temperatures, the second half was mostly a predictably slower affair given the conditions.

That was, however, until a flowing move from Bolton between Amario Cozier-Duberry and Dalby had Addai wrongfooted once more, as he failed to deal with the latter's ball across the face of goal, palming it to Wootton who could not avoid putting it into his own net.

Dalby was not done there and he sent Bolton up in style as he hooked his left foot on to John McAtee's header to acrobatically send the visiting fans behind the goal into raptures.

A moment of recklessness from Dacres-Cogley late on resulted in him being sent off following another VAR check.

The former Bolton man foolishly pulled Cissoko's hair in the box and Rodrigues made no mistake with the ensuing penalty as Bolton earned their promotion in style.

Rodrigues shines at Wembley again

Ruben Rodrigues celebrates scoring by holding badgeShutterstock

Ruben Rodrigues joined Bolton in January

Bolton had most recently come close to returning to the Championship in 2024, when they dropped into the play-offs having missed out on automatic promotion from League One.

That year they had entered the play-offs as most people's favourites for a second tier return but were defeated by Oxford United following a lacklustre display at Wembley which then-boss Ian Evatt described as being down to "fear".

Club chairman Sharon Brittan received a warm round of applause before kick-off, having been at the helm for the rebuild which has taken Bolton back where they started shortly before her tenure began in 2019.

Steven Schumacher was brought in as a replacement for Evatt last year and has overseen their rise back to Championship football, the second time he has achieved the feat having previously taken Plymouth Argyle to the second tier as League One champions.

Before this game, Schumacher had yet to mastermind a win against Stockport during his time in charge of Bolton - but they did it in style as they undid their opponents in a decisive second-half showing.

Aside from scoring twice, Rodrigues was at the core of Bolton's fine performance.

Two years ago, the Portuguese assisted both of Oxford's goals in Bolton's 2-0 defeat and he proved his liking for Wembley once again this time around.

Stockport implode after break

Josh Dacres-Cogley shown a red cardPA

Stockport were reduced to 10 men in stoppage time but the game was already over by then

Dave Challinor's stellar managerial record had brought him seven promotions in 16 seasons leading up to this campaign.

Having gone up with Colwyn Bay, AFC Fylde and Hartlepool United prior to his return to Edgeley Park, where he had spent two years as a player, he picked up the mantle with Stockport and took them back into the EFL.

He followed that two seasons later with promotion to League One. However, for two seasons on the bounce they have now missed out on automatic promotion to the Championship, finished third and then gone on to lose in the play-offs.

Challinor played for Stockport the last time they played second-tier football in 2002, but any return will be delayed by a further year.

For Stockport it was a case of 'what if?'.

Had Sidibeh's goal not been chalked off by VAR, which is only in place for the EFL play-off finals, could they have put their mark on a game which they could have led by the break?

In the end the match played out over two halves heavily influenced by conditions and individual errors.

Despite going a goal down following Addai's mishap, Stockport pulled themselves back into the game when they could have sat back and calculated their next move with legs tiring.

After the break, however, Bolton made sure of their return to the Championship and by the time Wootton had put the ball into his own net, Stockport looked finished.

Dacres-Cogley's late sending-off came at the end of a day to forget for Challinor's side, who face a summer of reflection as they aim to mount another challenge for promotion next term.

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