EFL Trophy
AccringtonAccrington Stanley0BoltonBolton Wanderers2

Accrington Stanley 0-2 Bolton Wanderers: Trotters head to Wembley for Papa Johns Trophy Final

Bolton players celebrate with goalscorer Elias Kachunga
Elias Kachunga (centre) broke the deadlock for Bolton Wanderers against Accrington Stanley

Bolton Wanderers left it late to book a Wembley date with Plymouth Argyle in the Papa Johns Trophy Final.

Wanderers overcame Accrington Stanley 2-0 at the Wham Stadium after the hosts were forced to play more than an hour with 10 men after Sean McConville's early red card.

Elias Kachunga and Aaron Morley struck in the closing stages to decide the semi-final for the 1989 winners.

One hundred years on from their first, Bolton booked their 14th Wembley showpiece, while Stanley's wait to visit the national stadium goes on.

Wanderers meeting with Argyle - shootout winners against Cheltenham Town on Tuesday - on Sunday, 2 April will be their first at Wembley since 2011 when they were humbled 5-0 by Stoke City in their FA Cup semi-final.

Bolton goalkeeper James Trafford held an early strike from McConville while Lukas Jensen denied 17-goal Dion Charles with his leg when clean through at the other end.

McConville received a straight red card on 22 minutes after a knee-high challenge on Conor Bradley - the sixth red card of the 33-year-old's career on his 425th Stanley appearance.

Aaron Pressley and Liam Coyle were also booked for fouls on Bradley, with Coyle's yellow card his 16th of the season.

Bradley saw a shot blocked and fired another effort off-target as Bolton pressed, while Kachunga slid the ball wide and Josh Sheehan fired over before the interval.

On-loan Manchester City and England Under-21 keeper Trafford raced out of his area and collided with Coyle on 50 minutes, earning himself a caution, while Coyle fell awkwardly and left on a stretcher after an eight-minute stoppage.

Charles had a goal chalked off for offside just before the hour and Kieran Lee clipped a close-range effort past the post with the goal at his mercy moments later.

In the space of four seconds Charles thudded the post, Jensen instinctively denied Declan John's follow-up, and then Charles rattled the bar from the rebound as the Reds goal led a charmed life.

The breakthrough eventually came eight minutes from time when Kachunga pounced on a slip from Rosaire Longelo in the box to lash high past Jensen and send the travelling army of Bolton fans wild.

The result was put beyond doubt two minutes later when Morley superbly fired in off the post from 20 yards after Stanley had only half-cleared their lines.

Trafford denied Pressley in the closing stages but Bolton kept their 12th clean sheet in 16 matches.

Along with Accrington, Hartlepool and Crawley are the only other EFL clubs never to have played at Wembley.

Accrington boss John Coleman (on Sean McConville's dismissal):

"I don't think it's a red card - there's no studs raised, it's not a straight leg, it's not endangering an opponent. He's kicked him on the side of the knee, he's certainly not hurt him.

"I'm not paid to make that decision, the referee is, and if [the referee] looks at it again I'm sure he'll think it's a bit harsh.

"If he's sending off Sean for that, the game's gone. It ruined the game really. A cup-tie we were very much in."

Bolton boss Ian Evatt:

"I'm so proud of the players, so pleased for them. Playing at Wembley, when you grow old and you finish playing you look back on those times and I really wanted it for them.

"I wanted it so much for Sharon [Brittan, the Wanderers chairman] and the board because what they've done for this football club is an absolute miracle and to give them a big day out is something they thoroughly deserve.

"Last but not least, the supporters, they have been through so much. We almost lost this football club, and now to have a final at Wembley Stadium is just amazing."

Line-ups

Accrington

Formation 3-4-1-2

  • 1Jensen
  • 50Fernandes
  • 16Rodgers
  • 15Sangare
  • 14Longelo
  • 28ConneelySubstituted forManciniat 90+2'minutes
  • 6CoyleBooked at 41minsSubstituted forMartinat 57'minutes
  • 11McConvilleBooked at 22mins
  • 8LeighSubstituted forWoodsat 90+2'minutes
  • 7WhalleySubstituted forClarkat 75'minutes
  • 20PressleyBooked at 21minsSubstituted forAdekoyaat 90+1'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Clark
  • 17Nolan
  • 22Martin
  • 23Mancini
  • 30Isherwood
  • 39Woods
  • 42Adekoya

Bolton

Formation 3-4-1-2

  • 19TraffordBooked at 52mins
  • 18Toal
  • 5Almeida Santos
  • 28MbeteSubstituted forJonesat 70'minutes
  • 21BradleySubstituted forIsgroveat 90+6'minutes
  • 16MorleyBooked at 64mins
  • 8Sheehan
  • 3JohnSubstituted forWilliamsat 77'minutes
  • 20Lee
  • 24Kachunga
  • 10Charles

Substitutes

  • 2Jones
  • 12Dixon
  • 23Isgrove
  • 25Thomason
  • 27Williams
  • 38Khumbeni
Referee:
Samuel Barrott
Attendance:
4,874

Match Stats

Home TeamAccringtonAway TeamBolton
Possession
Home26%
Away74%
Shots
Home5
Away18
Shots on Target
Home4
Away6
Corners
Home1
Away3
Fouls
Home13
Away10

Scores, Results & Fixtures

Wednesday 22nd February 2023

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Everton U21312010466
2Morecambe302145-14
3Harrogate311134-14
4Hartlepool311126-44

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Bolton32109367
2Tranmere311167-15
3Leeds United U21311156-14
4Crewe301215-42

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Port Vale33007079
2Wolverhampton Wanderers U2132014406
3Stockport310223-13
4Shrewsbury300317-60

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Salford31204317
2Accrington31206516
3Rochdale31206515
4Liverpool U21300336-30

E

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Lincoln City32016246
2Barnsley32016516
3Doncaster311145-15
4Newcastle United U21301204-41

F

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Grimsby31114405
2Mansfield311145-15
3Manchester City U2131116514
4Derby31115504

G

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Manchester United U2132106427
2Barrow31114315
3Fleetwood30304404
4Carlisle301225-32

H

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Burton330011479
2Bradford311157-24
3Sheff Wed310256-13
4Leicester City U21301248-42

I

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Colchester32105327
2Charlton32016336
3Gillingham311146-25
4Brighton and Hove Albion U21300347-30

J

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Wimbledon32106427
2Portsmouth31208356
3Crawley31119725
4Aston Villa U213003312-90

K

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1MK Dons32015236
2Cheltenham32015416
3West Ham United U2132013306
4Walsall300315-40

L

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Stevenage33006159
2Peterborough31115324
3Wycombe302114-34
4Tottenham Hotspur U21301204-41

M

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Plymouth32105238
2Bristol Rovers32106157
3Crystal Palace U21310223-13
4Swindon300318-70

N

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Forest Green33009369
2Newport32015416
3Exeter310247-33
4Southampton U21300337-40

O

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Chelsea U2132015416
2Sutton United32014316
3Oxford Utd31026423
4Leyton Orient310259-43

P

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Ipswich32018176
2Arsenal U2132015326
3Cambridge32013216
4Northampton3003111-100
View full EFL Trophy tables

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