AFTER conquering Kryptonite, George Thomason wants Wanderers to step up as Supermen at Wembley next weekend.

The midfielder believes a significant mental barrier was lifted with victory over two legs against Barnsley – the team which had knocked them out in last season’s play-off semi-finals and proven obstinate opposition ever since.

To book their place in the final against Oxford the Whites had to come away from their regular game-plan, most notably in the away leg at Oakwell.

And Thomason believes that could end up being the most important 180 minutes of football Bolton have played in their season so far.

He told The Bolton News: “Over the past week-or-so it had been all about how we overcome that hurdle, let’s be real, Barnsley have had our number over the past couple of seasons and we haven’t done ourselves justice when we have played against them.

“Over two legs – and I know they beat us in the second leg – but over the whole tie, we got our own back.

“I do think Barnsley have been our Kryptonite in the past couple of seasons.

“They know how to run the game down, to get a goal and make it difficult, and it was almost roles reversed over the course of two legs.

“I think to get through that is really, really important, but it won’t count for anything now unless we show up in the final.”

Though delighted to have won through to the final, Thomason accepts there is plenty of room for improvement, particularly on a shaky second-half display on Tuesday night.

The ball-winner, who was just five months old when Bolton last won a play-off final in 2001, is confident the team can once again cook up a winning gameplan.

“I think we need to put two halves together more, with more quality,” he said.

“You can’t play a first half like we did and then come away from it completely, giving them some sugar to come and put you on the back foot.

“Look, it’s now a cup final. A one-game shoot-out. Whoever executes their gameplan on the day win the spoils and goes up.

“There is enough confidence and definitely enough quality in that changing room. Once we get out there we will look after the ball, we’ll get after it, we will do what the gaffer asks.”

Though TV cameras picked up scenes of celebration among the Bolton players after the semi-final, behind the scenes it was a decidedly more circumspect atmosphere.

Ian Evatt said some of his players had left the stadium with “ringing in their ears” after his post-match debrief, and Thomason had no cause for complaint.

“It was fair,” he said. “I personally came off a bit gutted. We had been beaten at home and we had made the game unenjoyable, really hard work.

“What the manager said was truthful. We can’t go to Wembley and play like that – it was a complete contrast in the halves of football. We can’t allow ourselves to be that inconsistent within the course of a game.

“If we want to get the job done then we need to listen up and focus. We all need to keep grounded and humbled.”