Cambridge & Bolton stage emphatic final day ascent

Cambridge and Bolton will compete in League One next season after the pair recovered from some patchy form by securing big final day wins, clinching promotion to the third tier.

The pair were in contention for the final two promotion spots along with fourth-placed Morecambe, but all three sides secured final day wins, meaning everyone stayed put behind already promoted Cheltenham.

Cambridge had been in contention for the League Two title for the majority of the season, mainly thanks to 32-goal Paul Mullin, as well as some wizardry from 38-year-old Wes Hoolahan and their interim-turned-permanent manager, 35-year-old Mark Bonner.

Some recent blips had seen the Us drop away from Cheltenham in recent months, but a 3-0 win over already-relegated Grimsby secured Cambridge’s return to the third tier of English football for the first time since 2004/05.

©Getty /

Following their 2019 administration, things were incredibly bleak for Bolton who could have gone the way of Bury who were expelled from the Football League, but instead, things have turned around impressively under manager Ian Evatt.

The club backed their manager in both the summer and winter transfer windows and an upturn in results followed, helped by 19 goals from Eoin Doyle, top scorer from the previous League Two season.

Joining Morecambe in the play-offs will be Tranmere who they face in the semi-finals, while the other side of knockout will be contested between Newport and Forest Green.