CHECK out the best of our photos after Oxford United secured promotion to the second tier of English football for the first time in a quarter of a century, thanks to Josh Murphy’s Wembley brace.

The U’s were regarded as slight underdogs for the Sky Bet League One play-off final against Bolton Wanderers, but the Trotters failed to muster a shot on target thanks to United’s all-round performance.

The opening goal came when Ruben Rodrigues played the ball out to Murphy on the left, and he drifted inside Josh Dacres-Cogley and then arced a bending shot which took a nick off Ricardo Santos and found the back of the net.

The double arrived when Rodrigues shrugged away Paris Maghoma and then stabbed a ball down the right channel for Murphy, who took the ball away from goalkeeper Nathan Baxter and finished from a tight angle.

U’s boss: ‘We’ll do as much as we can to try and keep Josh here’

In the second half, Tyler Goodrham played Murphy through the middle, and he raced past the outside of Gethin Jones, but sent his low effort just the wrong side of the far post.

Murphy had another opportunity to grab a hat-trick when he ran the entire length of the right-hand side during a counter-attack, but he was thwarted by Baxter.

Check out the best celebration pictures from our photographer Mike Allen, in the gallery above.