BEN Toner has been appointed as referee to the Papa Johns Trophy final at Wembley – which might be a good omen for Wanderers.

The Blackburn-based official has taken charge of five previous games involving the Whites, and they have yet to finish on the losing side.

His first Bolton game was December 2019, where Keith Hill’s Bolton side chalked up a rare win that season against Sol Campbell’s Southend United. Joe Dodoo, Luke Murphy and Daryl Murphy were on the scoresheet.

After that he was in charge as Ian Evatt’s side – then struggling in the bottom reaches of League Two – beat Bradford City 1-0 in October 2020, thanks to a Nathan Delfouneso goal.

A year later, Toner was the man in the middle as Wanderers drew 2-2 with Gillingham in League One – late goals from Dapo Afolayan and Kieran Lee securing a point.

The only real note of controversy involving the Lancashire ref came in August last year when Evatt claimed Charlton defender Jason Pearce should have received a second yellow card for a foul on Dion Charles. Even then, the Bolton boss conceded that his side might have got away with an earlier foul from Gethin Jones.

He said after a 2-1 win, courtesy of goals from Charles and Will Aimson: “I cannot understand for the life of me why it wasn’t (second yellow for Pearce) and it makes it even more obvious when they take him off immediately afterwards.

"I think the whole stadium knew he should have been off the pitch, but perhaps that was kind of evening itself up because of the Gethin one in the first half quite possibly have been a red as well so probably one all on decisions on the night.”

The last time Toner took charge of a game was back in August, with Wanderers coming out 3-0 winners against Wycombe in their second game of the season.

Kyle Dempsey scored twice and Aaron Morley added the third, continuing what had been an unbeaten start to the campaign.

Toner was also the official who postponed Bolton’s game at Salford City in February 2021 when a section of the pitch at the Peninsula Stadium was declared unplayable.

Plymouth’s record under Toner is also a positive one, albeit they have a much longer history, with their first encounter arriving back in August 2015 and a 2-0 win at AFC Wimbledon.

Overall, the Pilgrims have won four, drawn one and lost two of their seven games under his watch.

Assistant referees on the day will be Graeme Fyvie and Dean Treleaven and the fourth official – a man who needs little introduction to ref-watchers at Wanderers – is Darren Drysdale.

Reserve assistant referee is Mark Cunliffe.