MK Dons to face Stockport County in League 1 next season as Bolton win play-off final

MK Dons will be taking on Stockport County next season after they lost to Bolton Wanderers in the League One play-off final.

County will remain a third tier side next season after they were beaten 4-1 at Wembley by Bolton, who return to the Championship for the first time since the 2018/19 season.

Two goals by Ruben Rodrigues plus an own goal by Kyle Wotton and a strike from Sam Dalby won the day for Wanderers in the all-Lancashire contest at a warm Wembley Stadium. The fourth came from an injury time penalty, with Stockport’s Josh Dacres-Cogley sent off for pulling Ibrahim Cissoko’s hair in the box.

Stockport had cancelled out Rodrigues’ second minute opener through Adama Sidibeh, who had previously had a goal ruled out by VAR, but things went awry after the own goal put Bolton back in front.

The defeat means that the Hatters, who finished third in the regular season, will remain a League One side next season. Stockport had been aiming to return to the second tier for the first time since the 2001/02 campaign. It also meant a second unsuccessful trip to Wembley for Dave Challinor’s side this season after they previously lost the EFL Trophy final to Luton Town.

MK Dons last faced Stockport in League Two in the 2023/24 season, losing both encounters after a 2-1 home defeat and a 5-0 reverse at Edgeley Park. The Dons had won both of their previous meetings with Stockport, which came in League One back in the 2009/10 season.

One more place in League One is still to be confirmed, with Salford City and Notts County due to play in the League Two play-off final at Wembley tomorrow (25/05).

Lincoln and Cardiff had already won their promotion to the Championship, with Leicester, Oxford and Sheffield Wednesday going in the other direction into League One.

Meanwhile, MK Dons along with Bromley and Cambridge have all already won promotion into the third tier, with Exeter, Port Vale, Rotherham and Northampton all suffering relegation to League Two.

The confirmed teams in League One next season are:

• AFC Wimbledon
• Barnsley
• Blackpool
• Bradford City
• Bromley
• Burton Albion
• Cambridge United
• Doncaster Rovers
• Huddersfield Town
• Leicester City
• Leyton Orient
• Luton Town
• Mansfield Town
• Milton Keynes Dons
• Oxford United
• Peterborough United
• Plymouth Argyle
• Reading
• Sheffield Wednesday
• Stevenage
• Stockport County
• Wigan Athletic
• Wycombe Wanderers