EFL Trophy win gives Bolton play-off final 'head start'

Bolton boss Ian Evatt led his side to victory in the 2023 EFL Trophy final at Wembley

Bolton Wanderers boss Ian Evatt says their victory at Wembley in last season's EFL Trophy final will give them a "head start" in Saturday's League One play-off final against Oxford United.

Evatt's side thrashed eventual League One champions Plymouth Argyle 4-0 but were knocked out at the semi-final stage by Barnsley in last season's play-offs.

This season they again faced the Tykes, narrowly overcoming them in a hectic second leg to set up their place in Saturday's showpiece.

"It's not just the performance [against Plymouth] which was exceptional but if you look at our preparation for that, it was pretty smooth," Evatt told BBC Radio Manchester.

"What we did pre-game and travel arrangements we know worked. So it gives us a head start in a range of all those things which we've managed to do.

"We've got good memories there which can never be a bad thing."

Should they win promotion to the Championship, it will mark a stunning turnaround for the club just over five years on from going into administration and dicing with liquidation in the summer of 2019.

Bolton were eventually relegated from the second tier to League Two but were promoted back to League One at the first attempt under Evatt's leadership.

Bolton 'must progress' after edgy semi-final

Evatt will have a near-full strength side at his disposal for their trip to Wembley with forward Jon Dadi Bodvarsson back training after a calf injury.

Despite their collective strength, the fact that Bolton were run close by Barnsley in the semi-final second leg - during which the Tykes won 3-2 but were defeated 5-4 on aggregate - has given Evatt pause for thought prior to making their way down to the capital.

The club had come close to automatic promotion earlier on in the season before their campaign petered out prior to May, with Portsmouth winning the third tier title and Derby County taking second place on the final day.

"I've always got a team in my mind and I've always got how I want the game to go and progress," he added.

"But as we saw from the Barnsley game, we went from a huge position of strength to squeaky bum time in the space of 15 minutes.

"It can change quickly but ideally we've got a plan, but football isn't always ideal so we have to be quite fluid."

Proud moment for Oxford boy Buckingham

Oxford United could return to England's second tier for the first time in 25 years

Buckingham was in the Wembley stands back in 2010 for Oxford's first ever play-off final when they beat York City 3-1 to earn promotion back into the EFL.

This time he will lead out his Oxford United side for the chance to return to the second tier of English football for the first time in 25 years.

"It’ll be a proud moment to lead out the team at Wembley," Buckingham told BBC Radio Oxford.

"I’ll be even prouder if come the end of the game we’ve done everything we can to get the performance and result we need."

The U's beat fourth-placed finishers Peterborough over two legs, winning 1-0 at the Kassam before progressing with a 1-1 draw in the second leg at the Weston Homes Stadium.

There has been a ten day gap between the second leg at Posh and Saturday's final at Wembley but it has been time that Buckingham felt had been used well.

"The mood in the group is focused but relaxed," Buckingham added.

"We feel we have done everything we need to be in the best position come Saturday.

"The quality of the training this week was as high as it has ever been. We should play at Wembley every week the way the environment has been amongst the players."

Listen to build-up on BBC Radio Oxford.