Championship
The mayhem begins. After Brighton’s 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Friday night, the Championship season got underway in earnest with the lunchtime kick-offs at Cardiff City Stadium and Elland Road. And what better way to start the anarchy than with the bar receiving a good clattering at one end seconds before a goal at the other?
That’s what happened when Matt Smith opened his account for the season with the Fulham woodwork still reverberating from an oh-so-close effort by Cardiff’s Anthony Pilkington. Naturally enough, this being the Championship, the drama didn’t end there: four minutes from time, late substitute Craig Noone popped up with a curling solo effort to claim an unlikely equaliser.
Over at Elland Road, they clearly took note. Leeds, for whom Stuart Dallas produced a fine debut performance after signing from Brentford four days ago, took longer than Cardiff to seize the initiative. But when Mirco Antenucci came off the bench to bend home a lovely strike with seven minutes to go, Uwe Rosler looked set fair for a winning start as the Leeds head coach. Guess what, though? Four minutes from time, late substitute Sam Vokes popped up with a lovely angled header to claim an unlikely equaliser. Must be a lunchtime thing.
Not to be outdone, Brentford waited until deepest, darkest stoppage time to retrieve a two-goal deficit against Ipswich at Griffin Park. Last season’s play-off semi-finalists fell behind to goals from Kevin Bru and Ryan Fraser, but Andre Gray pulled one back on 92 minutes. A consolation strike? Not a bit of it. Four minutes later, James Tarkowski bundled in from close range to claim a point.
Bolton and Derby also ended the afternoon with honours even, an otherwise forgettable goalless draw at the Macron Stadium punctuated by the late dismissal of the former Liverpool midfielder Jay Spearing.
Still, stalemate Saturday this was not. The most notable result of the afternoon came from the New York Stadium, where MK Dons marked their Championship debut with a 4-1 win over Rotherham. Rob Hall was the beneficiary of some tricksy build-up play after five minutes. The home side soon pulled one back through Matt Derbyshire, but a Danny Colllins own goal followed by some comedy defending from Rotherham that let in Dean Bowditch ensured the visitors were 3-1 up inside 35 minutes. Carl Baker added some late lustre with a lovely, twisting solo effort.
At Hillsborough, a tidy performance from Sheffield Wednesday ensured the tenure of their new manager Carlos Carvalhal began on a winning note, goals from Tom Lees and Lewis McGugan putting paid to Bristol City’s hopes of a triumphant Championship return.
Charlton put QPR to the sword at the Valley, Tony Watt opening the scoring before Morgan Fox made it a double dose of derby delight for the Addicks. And Birmingham survived nine minutes of added time – including an Orlando Sa penalty that was saved by the former Manchester United keeper Tomasz Kuszczak – to claim a 2-1 home win over Reading.
Huddersfield left the KC Stadium on the wrong end of a 2-0 defeat, with Sam Clucas and the Arsenal loanee Chuka Akpom ensuring Hull started the Championship in better fashion than they ended last season’s Premier League campaign.
But there was controversy at Ewood Park, where the decisive goal in a 2-1 victory for Wolves over Blackburn appeared to go in off the hand of Dave Edwards.
League One
If Blackburn were left with a sour taste in their mouths, one notch down the league pyramid there was an outstanding display of good sportsmanship. Facing Bury at the Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster Rovers went ahead in unorthodox fashion when Harry Forrester lashed home from the half-way line while supposedly attempting to return the ball, which Bury had put out in order for their defender Nathan Cameron to receive treatment. A heated discussion between the players ensued, at the end of which Rovers allowed the visitors to walk the ball into their net. The game ended 1-1.
Gillingham and Swindon were the day’s biggest winners, each knocking in four goals in their respective home games against Sheffield United and Bradford. Emmanuel Osadebe, debutant Deji Oshilaja, John Egan and Bradley Dack were all on target for the Gills in their 4-0 victory, which leaves them as the division’s (very) early frontrunners, while Jon Obika put the seal on Swindon’s 4-1 win after a rapid-fire second-half hat-trick from Nathan Byrne.
Chesterfield also notched up a convincing victory, winning 3-1 at the Proact Stadium against visitors Barnsley. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s Burton, League Two champions last time out, beat Scunthorpe 2-1 at the Pirelli Stadium. Coventry won 2-0 at home against Wigan, as did Rochdale against visitors Peterborough.
Millwall claimed the only away victory of the afternoon, battling back from a goal down to win 2-1 at Shrewsbury through a Steve Morison tap-in and a Lee Gregory penalty. The remaining games were draws: Blackpool secured a point at Colchester in a 2-2 stalemate, Crewe and Port Vale passed a goalless 90 minutes at Gresty Road, while the meetings between Fleetwood and Southend, and Walsall and Oldham, both ended 1-1.
League Two
On his managerial debut, Teddy Sheringham received an unceremonious reminder that life in football is not all about trebles and plaudits as his Stevenage side slumped to a 2-0 home defeat against Notts County. Curtis Thompson opened the scoring 10 minutes before the break, with new boy Mawouna Amevor adding a second at the death. To compound the former Manchester United and England man’s misery, front man Tom Hitchcock received his marching orders in stoppage-time, leaving the field alongside Amevor after the pair were involved in a scuffle. Welcome to League Two, Teddy.
Leyton Orient scored twice in two minutes in a 2-0 victory over Football League newcomers Barnet, with Jay Simpson and Paul McCallum both on target. Promotion hopefuls Portsmouth won in the first competitive game of Paul Cook’s tenure, Gareth Evans adding to a Kyle Bennett brace in a 3-0 home victory over Dagenham at Fratton Park.
Will Hoskins was the hero for Exeter, scoring a late winner on his club debut against Yeovil to seal a 3-2 win that looked in jeopardy when the visitors pegged back a two-goal deficit after the break.
Wycombe eased past York 3-0. Ronnie Moore’s Hartlepool side beat Morecambe 2-0 at home, while new signing Barry Corr was on target twice as Cambridge beat Newport 3-0.
Derek Adams, who took up the reins at Plymouth in the summer, showed Sheringham how it’s done with a 2-0 win at AFC Wimbledon.
Accrington drew 1-1 at home against Luton, while Jabo Ibehre scored a debut goal for Carlisle in their 1-1 stalemate at Mansfield. Oxford also drew 1-1, against Crawley.
Elsewhere, Bristol Rovers’ Football League return began with a 1-0 home loss to Northampton.
