WHILST most expect the final to be a tight game – Wanderers do boast an advantage over Oxford on play-off experience.

Using data from Transfermrkt.com, Ian Evatt’s squad has a total of 83 appearances in play-off finals and semi-finals across the Championship, League One and League Two. That totals 6,023 minutes of big-pressure football.

Oxford’s squad has played more play-off football at League One level – but overall players have registered 67 appearances, and 4,972 minutes in play-off games.

Cameron Jerome has played 10 play-off games in his career, seven of which have been in the Championship.

He scored in the final for Norwich City in 2015 and in their semi-final victory against Ipswich and also for Derby County in a semi-final win against Fulham, although the Rams lost in the second leg.

Josh Sheehan has also reached double figures, though his two previous routes to the final came with Newport County in League Two, and both ended up in defeat, in 2019 and 2021. He will be looking to make it third time lucky with Bolton.

Kyle Dempsey has played eight play-off games in his career – four for Bolton, four for Fleetwood – but this is the first time he has managed to make the final.

Randell Williams has seven play-off appearances under his belt, making the League Two final for Exeter City in 2020 but suffering a defeat against Northampton Town.

For Oxford, both Joe Bennett and Josh Murphy played for Cardiff City in their Championship play-off semi-final defeat against Fulham in 2020.

Their significant experience in League One play-offs is topped by midfielder Cameron Brannagan, who along with a single appearance for Fleetwood in 2017 also saw defeat in the 2020 final against Wycombe in Oxford colours, then a semi-final defeat against Blackpool 12 months later.

This will be the Liverpudlian’s fourth crack at a successful play-off promotion.

Coincidentally, the most experienced play-off campaigner at Wembley on Saturday will be Ian Evatt, who as a player compiled 11 appearances for Blackpool and Chesterfield at the business end of the season.