Wycombe in a Wembley wonderland after play-off final win over Oxford
Wycombe Wanderers have been promoted to the second tier of English football for the first time in their history after edging out Oxford United 2-1 in a tense, tight, League 1 play-off final at Wembley this week. There were jubilant celebrations at Wembley on Monday night as Gareth Ainsworth’s side battled for a precious – and potentially lucrative victory – over the Us.
Joe Jacobson kept his cool to sweep home the Chairboys’ all-important second from the penalty spot with just over 10 minutes to play. Anthony Stewart had grabbed the early advantage for the Blues when he headed home an early corner via a deflection off Oxford keeper Simon Eastwood.
Ainsworth’s side had to weather plenty of pressure from Oxford throughout the 90 minutes and it seemed their hopes might be dashed when Mark Sykes’ mishit cross found the back of the net early in the second half. The ball lobbed over Ryan Allsop to get the Us back on level terms and they passed up several chances to take the lead before Fred Onyedinma was felled by Eastwood and Jacobson sent the keeper the wrong way from the penalty spot in the 79th minute.
Ainsworth has led the Chairboys from the trapdoor of relegation to nonleague football in 2014 to promotion to the Championship in 2020, and he’s managed it on a shoe-string budget.
Ainsworth said: “It's an amazing feeling. To take this club into the Championship is just surreal, it's beyond my wildest dreams.
"Today is just the culmination of all the desire and heart of all those boys out there on the pitch. They absolutely delivered and then some. It wasn't the greatest game we've played in the world. This was always going to be cagey. My goalkeeper has made two world-class saves, they really came at us and are a good side.
"But that was destined today. There are 25 individual stories that have ended in the Championship and I'm so proud of the boys. They've been amazing."