Rubén Sellés’ tenure as Sheffield United manager got off to a nightmare start after a 4-1 home defeat by Bristol City.
The Spaniard was appointed into the Bramall Lane hotseat following the surprise sacking of Chris Wilder after the Blades’ play-off final defeat, but his stint could not have begun any worse.
Scott Twine’s double and goals from Ross McCrorie and Anis Mehmeti ensured Gerard Struber’s first game in charge of the Robins was a much more enjoyable affair.
Tyrese Campbell had levelled for Sheffield United but this performance will raise big questions about their promotion credentials this term.
Macaulay Langstaff made an instant impact from the bench as Millwall opened their Championship campaign with an excellent 2-1 win at Norwich. Introduced as an 80th-minute substitute with the game delicately poised, Langstaff took less than three minutes to make his presence felt with a cool finish to settle a keenly contested encounter.
After a cagey first half the Lions quickly took the lead after the break with a fine finish from Camiel Neghli, only for a mistake from the goalkeeper Steven Benda to hand Josh Sargent an equaliser four minutes later. Norwich, hoping to make it a winning start for Liam Manning, looked the more likely to take all three points after that, but it was the Lions who had the final say to make it a happy return to Norfolk for Alex Neil, who had two years in charge at Carrow Road from 2015-17.
It was Millwall’s first win at Norwich in 57 years. Neil said: “It’s a long, long time since we won here so to eradicate that one from the record books was very pleasing.”
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League One roundup: Huddersfield go top with late double
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Jack Whatmough and the substitute Cameron Ashia sent Huddersfield to the top of the League One table after a 2-0 win at Reading. Whatmough and Ashia both scored inside the final 16 minutes to leave the Terriers leading a group of six sides with two wins out of two, on goal difference.
Barnsley remain hot on their heels after 37-year-old David McGoldrick’s stoppage-time striker clinched a 3-2 comeback victory over Burton. The visitors led 2-0 through Jack Beesley’s penalty and a Fábio Tavares goal, but Caylan Vickers and Davis Keillor-Dunn dragged the hosts back into it before McGoldrick had the final say.
Goals from Kyle Wootton and Jack Diamond handed Stockport a 2-1 win at Wycombe, who replied through Jamie Mullins, while relegated Luton had Mads Andersen and Jordan Clark to thank for their 2-0 success at Peterborough.
Jamie Reid headed the only goal as Stevenage beat Rotherham 1-0 at the Lamex Stadium, while Owen Bailey’s late double saw last season’s League Two champions, Doncaster, to a 2-1 win at Mansfield, who had led through Stephen McLaughlin.
Wigan’s Steven Sessegnon endured a day to forget as he scored an own goal and was sent off in a 2-0 defeat at Leyton Orient – who doubled their advantage through Josh Koroma – and Reece Cole, Jack Fitzwater, Jayden Wareham and Ilmari Niskanen did the damage for Exeter as they trounced Blackpool 4-1.
Eoin Toal and Mason Burstow eased Bolton to a 2-0 win over relegated Plymouth, while Matty Stevens’ penalty and Nathan Asiimwe’s second-half goal wrapped up three points for AFC Wimbledon against Lincoln, who had defender Adam Jackson sent off after just 23 minutes. Promoted Bradford’s trip to Northampton ended goalless. PA Media
Stoke got their season off to a winning start after the debutants Divin Mubama and Sorba Thomas both scored in stoppage time to secure a 3-1 win over Derby at the bet365 Stadium. The debutant Carlton Morris had put the Rams ahead against the run of play on the hour mark, but it was cancelled out 10 minutes later by Lewis Baker’s bending shot from outside the box.
It looked as though the match was going to end in a draw until the fifth minute of stoppage time when Mubama, who joined the Potters on loan from Manchester City, headed home. Sorba, another summer arrival, added gloss moments later when he found the net from close range.
Mark Robins, the Stoke manager, said: “I honestly thought we were really good and good value for the win in the end … We went a goal down against the run of play, which was really disappointing. But we certainly didn’t let our heads go down.”
The summer signing Harvey Knibbs scored a stoppage-time winner for Charlton as last season’s League One playoff winners made it a losing start for the new Watford head coach, Paulo Pezzolano. The 26-year-old pounced from Conor Coventry’s corner deep to the back post in the closing moments.
Charlton remain unbeaten at home since 3 December and have won 14 and drawn three of their past 17 matches, including the playoff semi-final second leg, under Nathan Jones. The other victors at lunchtime were Southampton, who came from behind to beat Wrexham 2-1 at home. The division’s other Welsh side also lost, Swansea going down 1-0 at Middlesbrough.
Ryan Mason made a winning start as West Brom head coach with a 1-0 victory over Blackburn in their season opener at the Hawthorns. Isaac Price’s 15th-minute goal gave Albion a deserved victory, with Aune Heggebø and Price again going close, while Blackburn’s only serious threat came from Yuki Ohashi’s saved shot. The hosts ended the match with 10 men after Darnell Furlong was sent off at the death.
The Australian Adrian Segecic scored on his debut to give Portsmouth a 1-0 victory in a fiercely contested encounter at Oxford. The summer signing from. Sydney FC struck in the 38th minute with a sharp follow-up finish after Jamie Cumming saved from Colby Bishop, who had broken clear from Cameron Brannagan’s poor backpass. Pompey are now unbeaten in their last eight league games against the U’s.
Milutin Osmajic’s equaliser earned Preston an opening-day point in a 1-1 draw at QPR in the west London side’s first match under Julien Stéphan.
Osmajic hauled Preston level after Ben Whiteman’s first-half own goal.
Preston were without Daniel Jebbison because of an ankle injury apparently sustained during fitness work undertaken away from the club. Paul Heckingbottom, North End’s manager, is considering a ban on personal trainers. “I’m angry about it. It’s a growing trend in football where they work with people outside – they have their own people,” said Heckingbottom. “It’s an accident, I get it, but it’s not happening again with Preston players.”
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League Two roundup: Hutchinson and Agius help Crewe set the pace
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Crewe sit at the top of League Two after a 2-0 home win over Accrington, thanks to first-half goals from Reece Hutchinson and Calum Agius, but Will Davies’ double means Fleetwood are level with them on points following a 2-1 victory over Bristol Rovers. Chesterfield are the only other side with maximum points after Lewis Gordon and Dylan Duffy fired them to a 2-0 win at Cheltenham.
Tranmere were the division’s top scorers on the day with Taylan Harris, Josh Davison, Omari Patrick and Kristian Dennis finding the back of the net in a 4-0 win over Shrewsbury, who had Will Boyle sent off.
The game of the day came at Harrogate, where the home side led 3-1 before late goals from Harvey Rodgers and Jaze Kabia handed Grimsby a 3-3 draw, and Darren Oldaker’s strike proved decisive as Swindon beat Cambridge 3-2.
Adebola Oluwo and Kelly N’Mai struck either side of half-time in Salford’s 2-1 win at Notts County, who pulled one back through Jayden Luker.
Elsewhere, there were wins for MK Dons at Barrow, Bromley at home to Barnet, Newport at Crawley and Gillingham against Walsall, while promoted Oldham launched their home campaign with a 1-1 draw against Colchester. PA Media
Coventry and Hull drew 0-0 at the Coventry Building Society Arena. The closest either side came to breaking the deadlock was when Milan van Ewijk’s long-range effort struck the woodwork for the hosts in the second half.
