Bolton secured their place in the League One play-off final despite being beaten by Barnsley at the Toughsheet Community Stadium as Ian Evatt’s men edged the Tykes 5-4 on aggregate.
Holding the upper hand after last Friday’s 3-1 semi-final first-leg win at Oakwell, Bolton had their lead cut in the 36th minute by Sam Cosgrove before hitting back with a fine Aaron Collins strike and an Eoin Toal header in quick succession just prior to the break.
Barnsley scored again through Adam Phillips in the 64th minute and Cosgrove then made it 3-2 on the night 12 minutes later to set up a tense finale, but the Trotters held out as they gained revenge over the side that beat them in last season’s play-off semis.
They will head to Wembley a week on Saturday to vie with either Oxford or Peterborough for a place in the Championship – the U’s are 1-0 up in the tie ahead of Wednesday’s second leg at the Weston Homes Stadium.
Bolton are seeking a return to the second tier having last been in the division in 2018-2019, and a second promotion under Evatt, who guided them out of League Two in 2021.
For Barnsley, missing out on the final completes a disappointing end to 2023-24 in which they failed to win any of their final six games of the regular season and sacked manager Neill Collins with one remaining, placing Martin Devaney in interim charge.
Collins was to the fore in the opening stages, seeing a low strike pushed away by Liam Roberts and then dispossessing Mael de Gevigney and slotting home in the ninth minute, only for referee Oliver Langford to disallow the effort, judging it had been a foul.
Barnsley had penalty appeals waved away when Cosgrove went down under a challenge from Bolton goalkeeper Nathan Baxter, before Roberts made a good diving save to turn behind another shot from Collins, who subsequently fired wide on the follow-up after Dion Charles’ strike was blocked.
The visitors, having shown little threat up to that point, registered an attempt with Josh Earl nodding wide from a 28th-minute corner – and then a goal as Cosgrove battled to meet John McAtee’s delivery and headed in from close range.
Their joy was short-lived, though, as Bolton responded with Collins sending a delightful strike from around 25 yards into the net in the 43rd minute, and Toal then heading home three minutes later from Gethin Jones’ tee-up to give Evatt’s side a three-goal advantage on aggregate.
After Luca Connell curled off-target for Barnsley early in the second half and Charles struck wide at the other end, the Yorkshire outfit pulled another goal back when Bolton skipper Ricardo Santos gave the ball away and it was worked from Cosgrove to Phillips, who hit a deflected shot past Baxter.
And nerves among the Bolton fans then increased even more when Conor Grant lofted the ball into the box and Cosgrove headed in his second.
De Gevigney subsequently put a shot wide and a late header onto the roof of the net as continued Barnsley pressure failed to yield another goal, before the final whistle prompted a pitch invasion from delirious Bolton supporters.
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
- 1 OFFICIAL: Sevilla sign former Chelsea star Cesar Azpilicueta
- 2 OFFICIAL: Alejandro Garnacho joins Chelsea from Manchester United
- 3 Lucas Paqueta to leave West Ham! Aston Villa close in on £47m loan-to-buy deal to sign attacking midfielder
- 4 TIPS - Bologna FC 1909 VS Como 1907
- 5 TIPS - Liverpool VS Arsenal
- 6 'We’re considering a swap' - AC Milan confirm talks over potential deal to send Mexico's Santiago Giménez to AS Roma for Artem Dovbyk
- 7 Liverpool table fresh Marc Guehi bid as Reds hope £35m proposal will finally convince Crystal Palace to sell centre-back
- 8 TIPS - Pisa SC VS AS Roma
- 9 TIPS - Nagoya Grampus VS FC Tokyo
- 10 Should Manchester United transfer Bruno Fernandes away?