Bolton Wanderers 4 Stockport County 1 ( EFL League 1 Play Off Final ) Sunday 24 May 2026

 

 

 

 

County`s quest for a place in the Championship hit the buffers today at Wembley where they slumped to 1-4 defeat at the hands of Bolton Wanderers.

Anyone not at the game would conclude that County were outplayed by a better side, but they would not be telling the whole story.

For sure Wanderers started firing on all cylinders taking just 3 minutes to surge into the lead through a goal by Ruben Rodrigues, but from there matters changed fairly rapidly as County equalised through Adama Sidibeh  just 8 minutes later, only for County`s equaliser to be ruled out by VAR and an unbelievably naïve `explanation ` by Referee Mr Josh Smith –that was just plain wrong.

No matter, and not for the first time, County had fallen foul to Refereeing `inadequacies ` in Play Off Finals ,and had a mountain to climb, which they started to quite impressively- Sidibeh feeding hungrily off prime service from Bailey to again equalise for the blues.

This one stood, but I was probably not alone in wondering if this appalling blight on modern football would strike again.

It didn`t, at least not for some time as the game settled down into something of an end to end  battle- that excited the large crowd, whilst irritating the blue part of it as time after time  someone in a white shirt would sink to the deck seeking redress for largely illusional `fouls` by County.

During this period County relied heavily on the defensive nous of Ethan Pye and the bewilderingly constant attacking brilliance of Adama Sidibeh.

But the switch of Sam Dalby for Xavier Simons worked a treat for Wanderers who profited within a minute of the change from an OG by Kyle Wootton midst a lightning raid by the Lancastrians who now held a 2-1 lead.

That stretched to 3-1 on 82 minutes and then 4-1 as VAR took a decisive hand in proceedings again – the plaintive protestations of those in white once more compelling the Referee to the pitch side monitor from where he concluded that the latest Bolton attack had broken down ,due to Josh Dacre- Cogley having pulled on an attackers hair- Bolton fans went AS…..Rodrigues put the resultant penalty away….and  I rather lost interest a touch, electing to now do a search for my first half notes that had unaccountably gone walk-about.

I found my notes, or to be more exact, the admirable Joe Holland did, but County had lost their way and could not find their way back.

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If Sidibeh was first to show for either attacking unit – making it to the by-line early doors, he found the way to goal blocked by Lancastrian defenders, Wanderers were first to make real progress ,and 28000 of their fans went AS seeing their team take the lead.

The move started with a shot from Thierry Gale that Corey Addai made hard work of – parrying the ball back in play rather than pushing it out round the post. Burslow was following up and thumped his reply in promptly, and it need a supreme effort by the absolute master of supreme efforts- Ethan Pye to usher the ball out off the line. Danger gone …but it was not so as it now fell to Rodrigues to apply the necessary finish and he did and no one in blue could get anything on it -Bolton now led 1-0.

It took the blues just 8 minutes to put matters right via Sidibeh whose pace and physical presence prevailed as he surged past a defender before cutting inside from the right. There was still work to do but he did it well…..drawing the keeper before sending a lovely finish across the face of goal into the net. County had equalised, but County supporters celebrations were cut short by the sight of Referee Josh Smith heading for the pitch side monitor  before returning to the centre of the pitch to deliver the verdict namely that Sidibeh had ` fouled his man in the build-up.

That was truly appalling, but we go again- Bailey straight into it but seeing his shot climb over the bar 5 minutes later…..Sidibeh again central for County – his shot deflected for a corner, his shot from this drifting across goal and out.

Then we sorted matters …again…. as Josh Dacres- Cogley began the move by laying the ball off to Bailey half a yard inside the fullback. A delightful cross followed from Bailey, and it fell to Sidibeh whose close in header gave the keeper no chance and County the equaliser!

County were doing OK as we neared half time – but we still needed to attend to defensive matters and in that regard, Pye was on top of his form for sure, his best work getting his head to a free kick by Shearan out.

Tayo Edun,  not especially noted for top  quality defending, did well , twice in added time- keeping a Shearan  through ball from Burstow…and stopping a break by the lively Rodrigues.

I say Rodrigues was `lively ` but he was not particularly so almost on the break, electing instead to `fall down in the box` and waste some time. That was both rather sad, and not untypical at all of the Lancastrians modus operandi today!

I was relieved when the whistle went for the break!

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Then the second half started, and County were under the cosh straight away-Addai in action with an early save to keep it all decent.

Free kicks inevitably came Wanderers way, too many actually, together with some time wasting and the odd ritual appeal for a penalty- remarkably perhaps it stayed 1-1.

Seven minutes of Bolton pressure were interrupted by a startling run by Sidibeh down the left- startling not only for the pace and energy of it all but also because I thought he was clearly offside( although never flagged as being so) . We got away with that but then wasted the corner infuriatingly.

Bolton replied through Gale, who beat Dacres-Cogley with ease before laying the ball off inside to Conway who promptly fired a   blank that flew wide.

On the pressure mounted, and the determined responses of Ethan Pye to same- more brilliant work from him stopped the rot for the blues as Osei-Tutu threatened.

It was at this point that Steven Scunmacher swapped Dalby for Simons and within a minute of the changes, Bolton had the lead they desired – bringing Dalby on proved a good move as he immediately made a difference, feeding a pass into Dalby who laid the ball off for Amario Cozier-Duberry.

CD`s shot was under hit, but  Addai couldn’t deal properly with it as the ball then cannoned  off the legs of Kyle Wootton into the net.

 

It was 2-1 to Bolton, and this resulted in DC making changes -replacing Barry, Stokes & Sidibeh with Diamond,Andresson & Tanto Olaofe.

Almost immediately a scramble ensued in the Bolton box- Tanto very unlucky to see his goal bound effort kept out by Bonham- Osborn similarly close without reward.

But it was not long before Bolton resumed their offensive-Cissoko forcing his way to the by-line .Wanderers were on top now. Johnston’s ball into the box for Bolton, was flicked on by John McAtee and Dalby took a moment before hooking a brilliant overhead kick into the net.

That was Bolton 3-1 up, and into added time it became 4-1 when Dacres-Cogley was another victim of  VAR stupidity for allegedly pulling back Cissoko as he made to bear down on goal.

Dacres- Cogley was red carded - Rodrigues scoring from the spot to complete a most forgettable day for County.

This does not feel like the very best of reports, but like many who travelled with County today, it has hit us hard.

We`ll bounce back for sure, but not tonight or maybe even tomorrow!

 

Bolton Wanderers line up:-

Bonham, Osei-Tutu, Forino, Johnston, Conway (Christie 76), Cozier-Duberry, Simons (Dalby 62), Sheehan, Gale (Cissoko 72), Rodrigues, Burstow (McAtee 72).

Unused Subs: Harrington, Erhahon, Dempsey.

Stockport County line up:-

 Addai, Dacres-Cogley, Wootton, Pye, Edun, Norwood, Stokes (Andresson 65), Bailey, Osborn (Mothersille 81), Barry (Diamond 65), Sidibeh (Oloafe 65).

Unused Subs: Hinchliffe, Connolly, Fiorini.

Attendance: 48268

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