Match Report:Derby 2 Birmingham 1

Birmingham's bid to secure an immediate return to the Barclays Premier League made a stuttering start as they slipped to an opening-day npower Championship defeat at Derby.Chris Hughton's men had gone in front through defender Curtis Davies' header at Pride Park but were quickly pegged back by Jason Shackell's equaliser.Nigel Clough's side then capitalised on their momentum as Steve Davies fired them in front before the break and the hosts held on for three points against an unfamiliar Birmingham side who created plenty of chances but are clearly yet to really gel.
Hughton's side are bidding for a quick return to the top flight this season but have been weakened by a player exodus this summer which has seen the likes of Craig Gardner, Sebastian Larsson, Barry Ferguson, Roger Johnson and Ben Foster all leave.Five of the visitors' starting XI were new faces with former Inverness striker Adam Rooney on his own up front. Derby had plenty of new recruits involved too, among them Frankie Fielding, in goal, as well as Jamie Ward, Shackell, Kevin Kilbane and Craig Bryson.Derby started well and after Lee Croft came close in the first minute, settled into the game nicely.Birmingham had a bit more going forward, though, and at the other end Keith Fahey headed wide wastefully from Chris Burke's cross while Jordon Mutch rattled the bar with a header from Jean Beausejour's cross.

The opening goal came in the 19th minute through Davies, as the former Aston Villa centre-half leapt to head home from Mutch's corner.

Match Report:Hull City 0 Blackpool 1

A fine finish from Gary Taylor-Fletcher secured Blackpool victory over Hull in the opening match of the Championship season at the KC Stadium.The Seasiders, relegated from the Premier League last season, were more than matched by Hull through the match.Matty Fryatt wasted two fine chances for the hosts when clean through while Tom Cairney hit the bar.But Taylor-Fletcher lashed home a half-volley from Keith Southern's chip and his side survived several late scares.Blackpool dropped out of the Premier League in May after finishing 19th, while Hull were relegated from the top flight 12 months earlier, and the teams were well-matched.The hosts enjoyed the best of the opening quarter of the match as Cairney crashed a free-kick against the woodwork and Robert Brady dragged a shot wide.But after a slow start, Blackpool managed to assert their passing game and created the better of the chances before the break.First a cross from Kevin Phillips tempted Peter Gulacsi from his line and the goalkeeper was far from convincing as Elliot Grandin almost hunted down a loose ball.Then Phillips, who left Birmingham when his contract expired at the end of last season, rattled the post with a cleanly struck effort from the edge of the box.Hull suffered a setback as debutant Dele Adebola was forced off in the first minute of the second half, but the Tigers could have taken the lead when Fryatt burst through on goal.He was denied however as Alex Baptiste chased back and timed his tackle to perfection to rob the former Leicester striker.Fryatt and substitute Nick Barmby then squandered clear openings as the Seasiders defence disintegrated in front of them.But Taylor-Fletcher proved more clincial as he rifled an awkwardly bouncing ball into the top corner before Jay Simpson flicked Hull's last chance over the bar.Blackpool manager Ian Holloway told Sky Sports: "I want to prove that it's not just the players we've lost that were good. I want these lads to shine again and for me they did in this very tough fixture."I'm delighted for the lads, we've had a tough few weeks and it's always about getting the game started. We've had a terrible pre-season, we haven't played well at all, but we have tonight so that's all that matters."Hull boss Nigel Pearson felt his side were unfortunate to lose but admitted they had only themselves to blame."We've been mugged a bit because of the number of chances we've made," he said.

"We should be taking them but that's the Championship. It's a steep learning curve for some of our lads."

Match Report:Brighton 2 Doncaster 1

New stadium, new division, new players – but Gus Poyet is adamant some things will never change as long as he is at Brighton.His club are being transformed, and Saturday was a significant staging post on a journey they hope will take them to the Premier League. After 14 seasons without a home to call their own, Albion’s first league game in the Amex Stadium was always going to trigger a flood of emotions.Less predictable was that the most visible outburst would come from Poyet, who certainly produced a splash when he lost his rag with referee Eddie Ilderton and kicked out at a crate of water bottles.Twenty-seven minutes gone in a new home and Poyet had already been sent to his room – or at least to a seat in the stands. The incident added to a day of high drama that was capped with Albion substitute Will Buckley’s late double that clinched the win.Poyet, meanwhile, can expect a call from the FA. However, he remained unrepentant.He said: “I got sent off once as the Brighton manager, at Orient. They didn’t give me a suspension, no fine. I didn’t even have to pay the costs of the hearing.“Why? Because it was an unbelievable penalty that everybody saw and the referee was the only one who didn’t.“I am not going to change, the day I change and I don’t care, then I go home. I don’t know if I’ll appeal. We’ll see what happens. Maybe they will just put the referee in the fridge for two or three weeks. And I will get away with nothing.”Poyet’s post-match comments might not have been upbeat had his side not stirred themselves in the final half-hour to recover from Billy Sharp’s opening goal in the 39th minute.
Brighton’s recovery was set up in the 83rd minute by Buckley on his debut following his £1million move from Watford and clinched with a well-taken finish deep into added time.

Match Report:Coventry 0 Leicester City 1

Leicester may have had a glamorous pre-season – but it has clearly taught them grit.The international connections of Sven Goran Eriksson saw the Foxes take on a trio of high-profile European sides – but it was a good, old-fashioned Championship performance which earned them their first three points of the season.There was nothing crude about the play – hosts and visitors both knocked the ball about well – but Leicester had to show some doggedness to eke out the victory.They suffered as Darius Vassell was red carded after only 11 minutes when he went for a loose ball and caught Richard Keogh.That gave Coventry the upper hand but they failed to make it count and were reduced to 10 men when Carl Baker rashly dived in on Richie Wellens.Leicester hit the post before the interval and soon after the break they sealed the points through a first Championship goal from Lee Peltier, who joined them in the summer from Huddersfield.
Wellens, who is all too familiar with the Championship, believes the side will have to gel from the off to justify their tag as promotion certainties.He said: “We played against some top teams, so our shape was always going to be good. We have played Real Madrid, Valencia and Real Majorca.They have had the majority of the ball in those games so our pre-season has largely been made up of running and that showed!“It was the first time that this side had played together so you would expect it to take some bedding in but there is no time for that. We have to hit the ground running so we can get up there and stay up there.“We were bottom after nine games and struggling, whereas QPR won their first seven and were up and away from that point on. That gives you some room to have not such a good spell, which is almost inevitable.“We have a massive squad and if those in the team don’t do well, I am sure he will bring others in.”Coventry, on the other hand, have been tipped for the drop after losing three key players in the summer, but Wellens was impressed by the new style introduced by manager Andy Thorn.He added: “I did not think it was a typical Championship game at all. Coventry got the ball down and played some really good football.“Their manager has come in, changed the way they play and I thought they looked a very good team.“They lacked a cutting edge but the lad Lukas Jutkiewicz did well for them and caused problems.“I thought we were always in control, we defended well, kept our shape and created a few chances.”Certainly Thorn has brought a new style to the Sky Blues after the axing of Aidy Boothroyd with 10 games to go last season.But the departure of leading scorer Marlon King and a pre- season injury to Freddy Eastwood, has left them short in front of goal.That, and Baker’s silly challenge, made it an uphill struggle they could not quite overcome.Skipper Sammy Clingan said: “When we both had 11 men, I thought we were on top for the majority. They had a man sent off and I felt we were in control.“Leicester are the team who have been spending the most money. They are the Manchester City of the Championship but there was not much between us.“We moved the ball well from side to side, got into the box and created some chances, but there was a lack of concentration from our player to get sent off because the referee is always likely to even it up in those circumstances.“It was not in an area where the challenges needed to be made and it was a bit of stupidity, but you learn from these mistakes and move on.“I am sure that Carl will learn from it. I think their player made the most of it, but he told me that Carl did catch him.

“You see sendings-off for less than both of those challenges, but the referee had made his decision and you have to stick at it.“We have Lukas and Gary McSheffrey there and hopefully they can combine well together.
“We lost Kingy, who was good in front of goal but him going is not the be all and end all and we had to move on.”

Match Report:Bristol City 0 Ipswich Town 3

A Michael Chopra brace helped fire Ipswich Town to a 3-0 opening day victory at Bristol City and put the Blues top of the Championship table for the first Saturday of the new season.Having been satisfied with his team's friendly display against Wolverhampton Wanderers last week, Ipswich manager Paul Jewell named an identical side for the trip to Ashton Gate. David Stockdale started in goal with Ivar Ingimarsson and Aaron Cresswell in defence, while Mark Kennedy provided the support behind Lee Bowyer and captain Grant Leadbitter in midfield. Meanwhile Jay Emmanuel-Thomas lined up on the right leaving Michael Chopra as a lone striker.

Emmanuel-Thomas showed some of his skill to set up Kennedy for the first shot of the game on 7 minutes, the veteran midfielder firing over from 18 yards. A minute later, Edwards rolled the ball to Leadbitter whose effort appeared to clip the top of the crossbar as it curled over.

With a quarter of an hour gone however, the Blues were in front. David James came out to collect Kennedy's long ball forward but Michael Chopra managed to reach it first and found the perfect touch to lift the ball over the onrushing Bristol keeper into the net to make it 1-0.

Kennedy had a shot blocked after more good work from Emmanuel-Thomas as the Blues kept up their bright start, but City gradually began to get into the game as the half wore on, Marvin Elliott forcing a good save from Stockdale who tipped his header around the post.

Chances were few and far between for either side as half time approached, Liam Fontaine heading wide of the near post from Jamal Campbell-Ryce's corner before referee Mark Haywood blew for the end of the first half.

Bristol had slowly begun to put pressure on Ipswich after Chopra's opening goal, but the Town defence was holding off the danger reasonably well, young full-back Cresswell putting in a particularly impressive display along with Lee Martin on the left.

Neither manager made any changes at the break as the second half began, Bristol's Nicky Maynard having a goal ruled out by the offside flag shortly after the restart.

Five minutes after thinking they had found an equaliser, the hosts instead found themselves 2-0 down. Emmanuel-Thomas played a superb through ball along the floor to send Lee Martin dashing towards goal, the winger shrugging off pressure from two City defenders before slotting coolly across James and into the far side of the net.

Eager to get themselves back into the game, Bristol started to up the pressure, Elliott heading wide on 53 minutes. Stockdale was then forced into a diving save low to his right from Campbell-Ryce before Albert Adomah volleyed wide from Ingimarsson's nod on at the subsequent corner.

Right on the hour mark however, Town extended their lead. With Michael Chopra keeping up the pressure, a poor backpass put James in such a muddle that he hit his attempted clearance into the Town striker's body, allowing him to roll the ball into the empty net for his second goal of the day - and sixth in eight matches including pre-season.

Ipswich were now cruising to a win that was temporarily putting them top of the Championship table by virtue of goal difference, something which the 1,700 travelling Blues fans in the Wedlock Stand were making plenty of noise about. Meanwhile on the pitch, Brett Pitman and former Town transfer target Neil Kilkenny replaced Jon Stead and Campbell-Ryce for the hosts while Tommy Smith came on for Damien Delaney after the Blues defender suffered a minor knock.

Maynard curled a shot into the arms of Stockdale and Elliott headed wide from a corner as the hosts tried to salvage something from the game. The Blues were then left thanking their new keeper for preserving their clean sheet with a fantastic save from point blank range to deny Maynard.

Robins boss Keith Millen made his final chance with Martyn Woolford replacing Jamie McAllister, but Town were still threatening further goals, Leadbitter dragging a shot wide on 75 minutes. At the other end, Adomah and Elliott spurned chances before Leadbitter again found the woodwork, his low drive hitting the foot of the near post.

With 5 minutes of normal time left, Emmanuel-Thomas was taken off to applause from the away supporters to replaced by Josh Carson. Four minutes later, goalscorer Chopra recieved a rapturous sendoff as he left the field to be replaced by fellow summer signing Nathan Ellington.

As four minutes of injury time arrived, Bristol City continued to waste chances from set-pieces with Carson in particular threatening on the counter attack for Town. However, there were to be no further goals as Haywood sounded the final whistle to wrap up an excellent first day win for the Blues.

Boss Jewell will be delighted to see Chopra opening his account so quickly, his two goals demonstrating his natural ability to capitalise on the opportunities given to him. Emmanuel-Thomas offered plenty of attacking threat as well as height whilst youngster Cresswell - despite being only 5ft 7in - was able to get his head to just about every long ball by the hosts.

Stockdale impressed with a couple of key saves to ensure Town kept the clean sheet, while Martin's goal capped off an excellent performance overall and Leadbitter will consider himself unlucky not to have made the scoreline even more emphatic.

Match Report:West Ham 0 Cardiff 1

West Ham were given a rude welcome to life in the Championship , as a last-gasp Kenny Miller goal condemned them to a shock opening defeat.Sam Allardyce's first match in charge of the Hammers, who are favourites for promotion back to the top flight, was heading towards a damp squib of a goalless draw as the rain lashed down at Upton Park.But Miller crashed a dramatic winner on his Cardiff debut as West Ham were given a stark reminder that the Championship may not be the cakewalk the bookmakers are predicting.
Their midfield pairing of Kevin Nolan and Scott Parker would not look out of place in most Premier League teams but for various reasons they find themselves in the second tier.Nolan is captaining the Hammers after contract talks with Newcastle broke down while Parker, named in the England squad to face Holland on Wednesday, is apparently happy to stay unless Tottenham or a top-four club come in for him before the end of the month.Yet the illustrious duo could not break down a well-organised Cardiff side with a new manager of their own in Malky Mackay.Parker should have put the home side ahead after 10 minutes when he found himself bearing down on goal but his touch let him down and Anthony Gerrard was able to make the challenge.Further chances came and went for Frederic Piquionne, Nolan and Freddie Sears, with Robert Green only being tested once as he clawed away Don Cowie's header.After the break Matt Taylor, another of Allardyce's summer recruits, tried to breathe some life into his new side.

But as the clock ticked into stoppage time Miller, who had hardly had a sniff all game, collected a pull-back from substitute Rudy Gestede and lashed the ball past Green.