It was over in a blur, really. Three minutes in, a red card deep in injury time, and a scoreline that does not flatter Bolton Wanderers one bit. Stockport County came to Wembley on Sunday with a genuine chance of promotion and left with a 4-1 defeat that will sting long into the summer.

A bright start undone

The afternoon began badly for Stockport almost before they had touched the ball. Rúben Rodrigues put Bolton ahead inside three minutes, a goal that set nerves jangling around the County end of Wembley. To their credit, Stockport responded. Adama Sidibeh equalised on eleven minutes, running onto a long ball to level the tie, and for a spell the game felt genuinely open. When a Bolton effort was disallowed shortly afterwards, there was reason for cautious optimism in the blue half of the ground.

Sidibeh struck again on 29 minutes to make it 1-1 at the break, and Stockport went into half-time level. That was, in hindsight, the high-water mark of their afternoon.

The second half unravelled

Bolton head coach Steven Schumacher introduced Sam Dalby from the bench in the 62nd minute, and from that point the game shifted decisively. An unfortunate own goal from Kyle Wootton put Bolton 2-1 up on 63 minutes, and whatever shape Stockport had managed to maintain began to dissolve. Dalby himself added a third on 81 minutes, and then Josh Dacres-Cogley was shown a red card in the 92nd minute, leaving County to finish with ten men. Rodrigues completed the rout in stoppage time to make it four.

The final scoreline, 4-1, is a heavy one. It tells you something about how badly the second half went, even if the first 45 suggested a contest that could have gone either way. Tom Cleverley had already spoken after the semi-final about conceding soft goals, and the manner in which Bolton were able to exploit space in behind will be a source of frustration when the Stockport coaching staff sit down to review the tape.

What comes next for Stockport

The honest answer is: League One again. Manager Dave McNulty had spoken publicly about the club's ambitions for 2026-27, and those plans will now be drawn up with third-tier football confirmed for another campaign. That is not necessarily a disaster. Stockport have been building steadily, and reaching a Wembley final is no small thing. But the manner of the defeat, conceding four and finishing with ten men, adds a layer of disappointment that a promising first half makes harder to process.

The summer recruitment window will take on added significance. Sidibeh showed at Wembley that he can make an impact at this level; keeping him and building around him will be a priority. The squad that Cleverley and McNulty have assembled has shown enough quality over the course of the season to suggest County are not simply making up the numbers in the top six. Getting back here, and doing more with it, is the challenge now.

Four games is four games in a play-off campaign, of course, and Stockport did enough across the semi-finals to earn their place on the Wembley pitch. Sunday just did not go to plan from the third minute onwards. That is the nature of one-off finals, and it is the nature of this division: margins are fine, and on the day that matters most, Bolton were sharper. Stockport now have a full pre-season to work out how to be the sharper side next time.

Frequently asked

What was the score in the League One play-off final between Bolton and Stockport?
Bolton Wanderers beat Stockport County 4-1 at Wembley on 24 May 2026. Stockport's goals both came from Adama Sidibeh, while Bolton's scorers were Rúben Rodrigues (two), Kyle Wootton (own goal) and Sam Dalby.
Will Stockport County be in League One next season after the play-off final?
Yes. Stockport's defeat at Wembley means they remain in League One for the 2026-27 season.
Who scored for Stockport County in the play-off final?
Adama Sidibeh scored both of Stockport's goals, netting on 11 minutes and again on 29 minutes to level the tie before half-time.