Wycombe Wanderers promoted to Championship for first time in club's history to complete change of fortune

Oxford United 1 Wycombe Wanderers 2

On a shoe-string budget and wearing his lucky red snake-skin boots Gareth Ainsworth led Wycombe Wanderers to the Championship for the first-time in their 137-year history.

To add to the colour of the occasion, even if it was behind closed doors, Ainsworth – a front-man in another sense with his own band – had to cancel his usual Monday night jamming session to fulfil this League One Play-Off Final against Oxford United.

“I think the ‘Cold Blooded Hearts’ will definitely be coming back soon,” Ainsworth later said of his band. “But it’s rock and roll time and this is Wycombe Wanderers greatest hit by a million miles.”

By then the longest-serving manager in English football, closing in on his eighth year in charge, was soaked, his long hair stuck to his forehead, through a mixture of rain and champagne as he peeled away from the celebrations.

“I might be over the limit already with the alcohol that is soaking into my skin,” Ainsworth said while, out on the pitch, his players stood – camera phones in hand; howling in relief and happiness – taking it all in.

“Do you know what? Why should they leave,” Ainsworth added. “How many times do you get to Wembley and win. I told them to visualise this moment. Once you have done that no-one can take it away from you so make it count. And they have made it count.”

They certainly did with Ainsworth also paying tribute to the “absolute legend” Martin O’Neill – who had texted him to wish him good luck – and who had brought Wycombe into the Football League as Conference champions back in 1993. “It calmed my nerves down,” Ainsworth said while admitting that for a club that started pre-season with just nine players and with widespread predictions of relegation it was “surreal” to now be in the Championship. It was all the more remarkable that Wycombe had finished eighth in a curtailed League One but were elevated to third on points per game.

It was cruel on Oxford who were by far the superior side but were undone by errors and failed to take a host of chances with their manager Karl Robinson darkly alluding that it might be the break-up of this young team as he questioned his own future. “Where we go next season is something I will have to take a look at in the next few days. Right now this is as low as it gets,” Robinson said.

“We all have to make that decision on what is right for individuals, personally. I have got to speak to a few people as to what direction we go as a football club.” It felt like they were going to the Championship but mistakes undid them with goalkeeper Simon Eastwood, the hero in the semi-final penalty shoot-out victory over Portsmouth, inadvertently scoring an own goal and giving away the decisive spot-kick.

For Wycombe the key contributions came 33-year-old full-back Joe Jacobson who delivered the corner from which they scored – with man of the match Anthony Stewart’s header hitting Eastwood leg and ricocheting in - and struck that winning penalty.

Oxford dominated possession and drew level when Mark Sykes was released down the right before over-hitting a cross that swirled over the head of goalkeeper Ryan Allsopp and landed in the net. If that was fortunate then they were unlucky as James Henry tried to find Matty Taylor when through on goal, instead of shooting, and Allsopp produced two fines saves to turn away Rob Dickie headers. 

There then came the pivotal passage of play as Marcus Browne turned his back on an under-hit back pass with Allsop hammering it forward, Elliott Moore ducking under it and Fred Onyedinma running through with Eastwood clattering into him. Jacobsen scored from the spot. “The game sometimes is not fair and today was one of them,” a crestfallen Robinson said as Ainsworth claimed it was “destined” his side would go up. It was certainly some story.

Match details

Oxford United (4-3-3): Eastwood; Long (Forde, 80), Dickie, Moore, Ruffels; Sykes, Gorrin (Kelly, 46), Brannagan; Henry (Agyei, 80), Taylor, Browne (Woodburn, 89)
Substitutes not used: Stevens (gk), Mousinho, Mackie, Hanson, Atkinson
Goalscorers: Sykes 57

Wycombe Wanderers (4-3-3): Allsop, Jacobson, Gape, Stewart, Wheeler, Bloomfield (Pattison, 46), Grimmer, Charles, Onyedinma (Freeman, 90), Samuel (Akinfenwa, 62), Ofoborh (Thompson, 62).
Substitutes not used: Stockdale (gk), Kashket, Phillips, Jombati, Parker
Goalscorers: Stewart 9, Jacobsen 79 (pen)

Referee: Robert Jones