MX23RW : Friday, June 28 10:12:48| >> :120:10469:10469:
[monks data]
Oxford United
League One
Jul 13, 2020 at 7.30pm UK
Wembley Stadium
Wycombe Wanderers

Oxford Utd
1 - 2
Wycombe

Sykes (57')
Rodriguez (27')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Stewart (9'), Jacobson (79' pen.)
Thompson (72')

Gareth Ainsworth hails Wycombe squad after history-making promotion

Gareth Ainsworth hails Wycombe squad after history-making promotion
© Reuters
Wycombe sealed promotion to the second tier for the first time in their 133-year history.

Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth paid tribute to his players after they secured promotion to the Sky Bet Championship after edging Monday night's League One play-off final 2-1 against Oxford.

A deflected Anthony Stewart header gave Wanderers an early lead at Wembley, but Oxford fought back in the second half, with Mark Sykes' looping cross-shot levelling the score.

Wycombe retook the lead from the penalty spot in the 79th minute after U's goalkeeper Simon Eastwood brought down Fred Onyedinma and Joe Jacobson stepped up to seal their promotion to the second tier for the first time in their 133-year history.

Ainsworth – drenched in champagne after joyous celebrations with his players – told Sky Sports: "That was just amazing, you know.

"We can't afford the best footballing players, but heart and determination and that was a Wycombe performance.

"I'm so, so proud of the boys. They just ground it out, I can't believe it. I still can't believe that we are a Championship club."

The Chairboys, tipped for relegation at the start of the season, defied the odds to qualify for the play-offs, having been raised from eighth position in the table when the season came to a premature close to third on points-per-game.

Ainsworth suffered penalty shoot-out heartbreak with Wanderers on his previous visit to Wembley, in the League Two play-off final in 2015, but was able to create history this time following a cagey game.

He said: "Rochdale and Accrington were down there with us, but we were right down there budget-wise. I had nine players on the first day of pre-season and two of them were trialists."

Former Wimbledon player Ainsworth added: "There was only ever one Crazy Gang. We'll come up with a name for ourselves. At the moment I don't know what that is.

"All I can tell you is we are a Championship club and I'm over the moon."

The U's pushed forward in search of a second equaliser in the last 10 minutes, but Wycombe held firm to clinch promotion to the Championship.

Jacobson, whose second-half penalty sent Wycombe to the second tier for the first time said it was "ridiculous" what his side had achieved.

"It's ridiculous. I can't believe what we've just done," Jacobson told Sky Sports. "To go back 11 months, first day of pre-season, nine players, favourites for relegation.

"Where we've got to now is ridiculous. It's stupid what we've done today. But that's us, that's Wycombe to a 'T'.

"We can score goals and do well in set-pieces, we can defend well as a team.

"We've got strikers and wingers who are unbelievable going forward, but happy to run back 50 yards to get a tackle in. That sums us up."

ID:406403: cacheID:406403:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:6881:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Wycombe Wanderers manager Gareth Ainsworth celebrates on July 6, 2020
Read Next:
The talking points ahead of Monday's League One playoff final
>
rhs 2.0
Euro 2024 fixtures header
Saturday, June 29
 
5pm
 
8pm
Sunday, June 30
 
5pm
 
8pm
Monday, July 1
 
5pm
 
8pm
Tuesday, July 2
 
5pm
 
8pm
Friday, July 5
Saturday, July 6
Tuesday, July 9
Wednesday, July 10
Sunday, July 14
Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Germany Germany32107
Q Switzerland Switzerland31205
3 Hungary Hungary31023
4 Scotland flag Scotland30121

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain33009
Q Italy Italy31114
3 Croatia Croatia30212
4 Albania national flag Albania30121

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England31205
Q Denmark Denmark30303
Q Slovenia Slovenia30303
4 Serbia Serbia30212

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Austria Austria32016
Q France France31205
Q Netherlands Netherlands31114
4 Poland Poland30121

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania31114
Q Belgium Belgium31114
Q Slovakia Slovakia31114
4 Ukraine Ukraine31114

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Turkey Turkey32016
Q Georgia Georgia31114
4 Czech Republic Czech Republic30121


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!