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IT'S RU AT DOUBLE AS WANDERERS HAMMER HATTERS
Manchester Evening News
|May 25, 2026
BOLTON BACK IN CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER WEMBLEY CRUISE
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Bolton's Ricardo Santos and Dion Charles lift the Papa Johns Trophy after their win at Wembley Stadium
(PETER BYRNE/PA WIRE)
SAM Dalby came off the bench to fire Bolton back into the Championship for the first time since 2019 with a 4-1 League One play-off final win over Stockport.
Substitute Dalby netted a decisive 81st-minute third goal after playing his part in Wanderers restoring their lead via a Kyle Wootton own goal 17 minutes earlier.
Ruben Rodrigues started and finished the scoring - his second via the penalty spot - as County's second Wembley defeat of the season ended with former Bolton right-back Josh Dacres-Cogley sent-off for a stoppage-time hair pull on Ibrahim Cissoko.
Steven Schumacher’s side celebrated their return to the second tier two years after losing to Oxford in the same showpiece. Rodrigues, who played for the U’s in the 2024 final, gave Bolton a third-minute lead.
This story is from the May 25, 2026 edition of Manchester Evening News.
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