For Bucks sake! Chairboys reach second tier for the first time in history

A piece of home counties history was made in Wembley tonight when Wycombe Wanderers became the first Buckinghamshire side to reach the second tier of English football.

They will be heading to the Championship next season for the first time in their history. They beat Oxford United 2-1 in the final at an empty but noisy Wembley Stadium.

They join Coventry City and Rotherham United who won automatic promotion in the Championship next year.

After nine minutes, Joe Jacobson swung in a corner from the right. Centre half Darius Charles headed it past Simon Eastwood and found into the net after it ricocheted off keeper James Henry. Charles was given the goal as it was deemed to be going in before the keeper’s intervention. Henry tried to punch it away and missed, probably fortunately as it would have meant a red card if he had.

Jack Grimmer was magnificent in defence in the first half, as were all his colleagues who reduced Oxford to a long range effort from Marcus Browne which flew harmlessly over.

Josh Ruffels needlessly fouled David Wheeler, but Jacobson could only curl the ball over with heads waiting inside the six yard box. After half time, Oxford came out like Lions and dominated the second half.

They got their deserved equaliser. Was it a cross? Was it a shot? It matters not, Mark Sykes’s effort flew over Ryan Allsop to equalise and the Us certainly deserved it on their second half show.

But the winner came for Wycombe eleven minutes from time. Simon Eastwood charged down Fred Onyedinma and referee Robert Jones awarded the penalty which Jacobson converted.

Wanderers held on and made football history in Buckinghamshire.

Motm: Anthony Stewart

Oxford United: Eastwood; Ruffels, Dickie, Moore, Gorrin (Kelly 45′), Brannagan, Taylor, Long (Forde 81′), Henry (Agyei 81′) Sykes, Browne (Woodburn 88′)

Subs: Mousinho, Mackie, Hanson. Agyei, Atkinson, Kelly, Stevens

Wycombe Wanderers: Allsop, Jacobson, Gape, Stewart, Wheeler, Bloomfield (Pattison 45′) , Grimmer, Charles, Onyedinma (Freeman 92′), Samuel (Akinfenwa 61), Ofoborh (Thompson 61′).

Subs: Stockdale, Jombati, Pattison, Kashket, Phillips, Thompson, , Freeman, Parker.

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