Oxford have been promoted back to the Championship for the first time in 25 years after beating Bolton 2-0 in the League One play-off final at Wembley.
Des Buckingham's side, who beat Peterborough in the semi-final to be within one win of the second tier, took the lead in the 31st minute through a deflected Josh Murphy strike. Former Norwich winger Murphy then added his second just before half-time to put them in a commanding position.
Bolton were improved in the second period and dominated possession, but struggled to create many clear-cut opportunities. Oxford, meanwhile, provided a threat on the counter attack and could have scored a third, with Murphy missing a couple of chances to complete his hat-trick.
However, that did not matter to the end result as Oxford held out to book their place in the second tier for the first time this century. The U's join Portsmouth and Derby to win promotion out of League One and into the Championship ahead of next season.
Speaking after the win, scorer Murphy told Sky Sports: "I don't think anyone expected this. I am lost for words. We have just played amazingly and are in the Championship now."
Less than three months ago, Oxford were thrashed 5-0 at Bolton during the regular season. When asked about how The U's have managed to bounce back and beat the same opponent at Wembley, Murphy said: "This group is very special, we knew after that game [losing 5-0 at Bolton], it was sink or swim.
"Everyone swam today, we have got such good togetherness here and everyone has just dug in. "I think if you see the performance against Peterborough, backs against the wall and today we played out of our skin. I am buzzing."
Oxford last competed in the second tier of English football during the 1998/99 season where they were relegated on the final day of the season, finishing 23rd. The U's then endured a decade of decline, dropping down to the Conference in 2006 before staying there for three years.
Having won promotion back to the Football League in 2010, Oxford began to establish themselves back in the fourth tier as they enjoyed a couple of seasons finishing mid-table. They finally made their way back to League One in 2016 after winning promotion in second and had remained in that division for the next eight years.
Oxford finished fifth in the 2023/24 regular League One season, picking up 77 points from their 46 matches. They sat 10 points behind Bolton but managed to produce a fine performance to beat them at Wembley. For Bolton, they will now prepare for a fourth successive season in League One.
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