Globetrotting Des Buckingham cannot wait to lead hometown club Oxford out at Wembley.
The 39-year-old boss played for the club as a youngster and cut his teeth in coaching in their youth section before heading off to New Zealand, Australia and India to launch his managerial career.
Buckingham returned in November after Liam Manning left for Sky Bet Championship club Bristol City – and now Oxford are one game away from the second tier themselves.
They arrived in Peterborough with a single-goal advantage from last Saturday’s first leg, only to fall behind to Josh Knight’s 39th-minute opener.
But they soon regained the edge as Cameron Brannagan struck his 10th spot-kick of the season in first-half stoppage time to leave Posh suffering semi-final heartbreak for the second successive season.
Buckingham said: “It will be without doubt the proudest moment of my life to lead my hometown club out at Wembley in my first season here.
“We’ve had some tough moments along the way, but people have stuck together so strongly and this is fantastic for everyone associated with the football club.
“I can’t wait now to try to go one step further and reach the Championship. What a wonderful experience it will be.
“We know we will sell out or allocation, no doubt. If we can replicate the atmosphere we had with 12,000 people at the Kassam with 35-40,000 at Wembley, it will be unbelievable.
“We knew coming here would be tough as Peterborough are an excellent team with some wonderful players.
“They were the highest goalscorers in the league for a reason. We knew we would have to weather a storm, but we didn’t plan on having to weather it for quite as long as we did!
“But the players showed a really good desire to defend what we had.”
Posh boss Darren Ferguson admitted: “I know it’s raw right now, but this is as disappointed as I’ve ever felt as it’s such a big opportunity wasted.
“But I’m also proud of my team. We absolutely battered them, but we didn’t get the bit of luck you always need in the play-offs.
“We played like we have all season. We dominated the ball and got the goal we needed, but conceding so quickly after it is what has cost us the tie.
“All we can do is congratulate our opponents on getting to Wembley – very luckily – but they are there.
“The football we’ve played this season is certainly the best I’ve seen in my time here. I’ve loved watching it and working with the lads.
“We were one game away from Wembley and felt we could win there, but we all know football is a cruel game and all we can do now is go again.”
[(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 Arsenal or Chelsea to win Premier League? Week 2 overreactions
- 2 TIPS - Puebla FC VS Monterrey
- 3 TIPS - Liverpool VS Arsenal
- 4 TIPS - Jeju SK FC VS Gwangju FC
- 5 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 6 Liverpool table fresh Marc Guehi bid as Reds hope £35m proposal will finally convince Crystal Palace to sell centre-back
- 7 TIPS - Nagoya Grampus VS FC Tokyo
- 8 TIPS - US Cremonese VS US Sassuolo Calcio
- 9 TIPS - Pisa SC VS AS Roma
- 10 Kobbie Mainoo Informs Manchester United of Desire to Leave on Loan