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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Mike Walters

Wycombe beat Oxford in League One play-off final to earn Championship promotion

Gareth Ainsworth is king of the Chairboys after Wycombe made history in their game of thrones.

The club who only scraped into the play-offs when the League One table was finalised on a points-per-game basis were promoted to the Sky Bet Championship for the first time in their 133-year history – and only six years after they escaped relegation from the Football League.

Manager Ainsworth is guitarist and lead singer of a band called Cold Blooded Hearts, but he had to cancel their Monday night practice because of a pressing gig at Wembley.

And Wycombe's boys of strummers did him proud.

“It's rock and roll time,” gushed Ainsworth. “'This is Wycombe Wanderers' greatest hits by a million miles. I will definitely be getting the cowboy boots out and celebrating.

Wycombe Wanderers players celebrate after the Sky Bet League One Play Off Final (Getty Images)

“We did a bit of visualisation back at the hotel before the game – I told the players to visualise this moment and make the most of it because nobody can ever take it away from them.

“To take this club into the Championship is beyond my wildest dreams. I stood on that touchline five years ago and got beat on penalties, but today was destiny.”

Let's put this little miracle in perspective. Ainsworth leading Wanderers into the second tier is like finding a Nissan Micra next to Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes on a Formula One starting grid.

Wycombe began the season with only eight senior players and the lowest budget in League One, with Ainsworth admitting: “We're in deep s***.”

They don't play pretty football, but fairytales don't always come in tutus.

Wycombe Wanderers' Joe Jacobson (right) celebrates scoring his side's second goal (PA)

On the pitch, Joe Jacobson was the hero, supplying the assist for Wycombe's opener and keeping his cool from the penalty spot in a gripping finale.

Set pieces were always Ainsworth's likeliest source of joy, and Wycombe took just nine minutes to exploit their strong suit.

Jacobson, who scored in the League Two play-off final here five years ago, whipped a wicked corner beyond Simon Eastwood and Anthony Stewart's far-post header went in off the Oxford keeper's trailing leg.

And Oxford, whose 'contingent' behind the goal included a giant banner bearing an image of their former manager Jim Smith, made little headway with their glass slippers among Wycombe's hobnail boots.

Apart from Sam Long's rising drive beyond the angle, and an outstanding interception by Stewart to deny Matty Taylor a simple tap-in, the Chairboys looked as comfortable as a sofa.

(PA)

When Oxford finally cranked up the pressure, an equaliser arrived 12 minutes after the break in freakish fashion.

It looked for all the world as if Mark Sykes was trying to locate Taylor in the box from the right flank, but his mishit cross turned out perfectly, drifting over Ryan Allsop and into the far corner.

Allsop fared better when he made two fine saves from Rob Dickie headers in less than a minute, and Oxford were well on top when they pressed the self-destruct button 13 minutes from time.

Eastwood flattened Onyedinma after a dreadful mistake by Elliott Moore and Jacobson buried the inevitable spot-kick.

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