The new Championship season got underway with plenty of drama, headlined by a Middlesbrough comeback win, a comfortable Millwall victory over ten-man Bristol City, and a stunning QPR turnaround against Portsmouth. Here’s a full round-up of Saturday’s Championship action.
Lankshear Double Fires Boro Past Lincoln
Marquee summer signing Will Lankshear scored twice in the second half as Middlesbrough came from behind to beat newly-promoted Lincoln 2-1, ending Lincoln’s remarkable nine-month unbeaten run in the process.
Millwall Ease Past Ten-Man Bristol City
Josh Coburn scored twice as Millwall began their Championship campaign in comfortable fashion, beating a ten-man Bristol City side 2-0 at Ashton Gate.
Charlton Fight Back to Beat Derby
Charlton came from behind to see off Derby 2-1, with Lloyd Jones and Tyreece Campbell both on the scoresheet as the club got their season underway with a positive result.
Controversial Heggebo Goal Helps West Brom Win at Norwich
West Brom opened their campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win away at Norwich, though the victory came with some controversy Aune Heggebo appeared to use his hand in scoring the Baggies’ opening goal.
Chair Brace Sends QPR Past Portsmouth
Portsmouth raced into an early lead through Terry Devlin, but QPR responded strongly, with Ilias Chair scoring either side of a Koki Saito goal to complete a 3-1 comeback victory.
Idah’s Impact Off the Bench Stuns Stoke
Swansea came from behind to beat Stoke 2-1, with substitute Adam Idah scoring the winner with his very first touch after coming off the bench.
Bolton Mark Championship Return With Win Over Preston
Sam Dalby and Thierry Gale both scored in the first half as Bolton beat Preston 2-1, securing their first Championship victory since March 2019 on their return to the division.
Sheffield United and Birmingham Play Out Goalless Draw
Sheffield United and Birmingham shared a 0-0 draw in Saturday’s evening kick-off at Bramall Lane, in a game that offered few clear-cut chances for either side despite a flurry of second-half substitutions.
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder admitted afterward that his side gave the ball away too cheaply and never quite found the moments of quality needed to break the deadlock, though he was satisfied defensively and pleased to keep a clean sheet as something to build on. He rated the overall performance as solid without being outstanding, acknowledging there’s still work to do on the training ground given the squad remains a little light in certain areas though he expressed confidence those gaps could be addressed.
Quick Facts: Championship Opening Weekend
- Middlesbrough 2-1 Lincoln — Lankshear (2)
- Millwall 2-0 Bristol City (10 men) — Coburn (2)
- Charlton 2-1 Derby — Jones, Campbell
- Norwich 1-2 West Brom — Heggebo (contested)
- QPR 3-1 Portsmouth — Chair (2), Saito
- Stoke 1-2 Swansea — Idah (winner)
- Bolton 2-1 Preston — Dalby, Gale
- Sheffield United 0-0 Birmingham
