Peterborough breezed to victory as their bid for an instant Championship return got off to a perfect start with a 3-0 win over Bristol Rovers. Gary Johnson's men over-ran Rovers with a second-half attacking onslaught launched by fans' favourite George Boyd. He broke the deadlock when accepting a 57th-minute pass from defender Kelvin Langmead and drilled a low shot past Mikkel Andersen from 15 yards. Only a fine goal-line clearance from Wayne Brown prevented Langmead from doubling the lead with a bullet header, but Posh were soon back on the goal trail.
Aaron Mclean struck at the second attempt with 17 minutes remaining after dancing round Andersen and skipper Grant McCann added a polished finishing touch when tucking away a classy free-kick late on. It was not all plain sailing for Posh as they were reliant on a couple of fine saves from goalkeeper Joe Lewis, blocking an effort from Will Hoskins just before the half-hour and then he pulled off an even better stop to thwart Jeff Hughes soon after.
- League One Table
- Peterborough United News
Southampton 0-1 Plymouth
Luke Summerfield scored his first goal for a year to lead relegated Plymouth to a surprise 1-0 victory over promotion favourites Southampton at St Mary's. Summerfield's scrambled 47th-minute effort ensured Peter Reid got off to a winning start as Plymouth manager. The defeat is an early setback for Southampton boss Alan Pardew, who is under pressure to guide the south coast side back into the Championship after only narrowly avoiding the sack at the end of last season.
Saints dominated possession in the first half but, with last year's top-scorer Rickie Lambert sidelined by injury, lacked any cutting edge. Plymouth took the lead with their first effort on goal two minutes after half time. Bondz N'Gala's cross was headed across goal by Rory Fallon and Steven McLean flicked the ball into the path of Summerfield, who bundled home at the back post. Substitute Adam Lallana came closest to salvaging a point for the home side moments after coming off the bench when his 25-yard pile-driver was turned behind by Plymouth goalkeeper David Button.
Carlisle 2-0 Brentford
A sparkling first-half display ensured Carlisle earned a 2-0 win over Brentford at Brunton Park. Goals from Gary Madine and veteran defender Ian Harte meant that there was no repeat of last season's opening day defeat to the Bees. The Brentford defence was given a torrid time by Carlisle's energetic front line and twice in the first six minutes debutant Craig Curran struck the woodwork.
First he sent a looping header onto the bar from James Berrett's accurate cross and then poked a rebound against the foot of the post after keeper Simon Moore had saved his initial effort. Carlisle went ahead in the 22nd minute when left-back Sean McDaid fired low into the heart of the penalty box and Madine had time to get the ball under control and beat Moore with a shot from eight yards.
And on the stroke of half-time Curran was fouled just inside the area by Kevin O'Connor and Harte sent Moore the wrong way from the penalty spot. Bees' second-half sub Robbie Simpson had an immediate impact setting up a great chance for Alexander whose shot on the turn from 12 yards was brilliantly saved by Adam Collin.
Charlton Athletic 1-0 Bournemouth
Akpo Sodje's goal ensured 10-man Charlton made a winning start to the new campaign with a 1-0 win against Bournemouth. Charlton took the lead after 22 minutes when Kyel Reid's low cross was fired past Cherries keeper Shwan Jalal by Sodje from six yards. Reid twice went close to doubling the advantage, first with a long range free-kick which Jalal caught and then by firing wide after breaking into area.
Bournemouth struggled to create any real opportunities and they had to wait until the 55th minute to really test Addicks keeper Rob Elliot when he was forced to gather Liam Feeney's low drive from 20 yards. The Addicks were reduced to 10 men after 62 minutes when Jose Semedo was handed a straight red card for violent conduct after raising his studs in a challenge on substitute Michael Symes. Bournemouth had a 76th-minute penalty claim ignored when Symes' shot was deflected behind by Gary Doherty for a corner, although the referee adjudged it had not come off the Charlton defender's arm despite furious protests from the visitors.
Exeter City 2-2 Colchester United
Exeter and Colchester shared the spoils in a four-goal thriller at St James' Park which ended 2-2. The match got off to a blistering start with three goals in the first 11 minutes and it was Exeter that opened the scoring when debutant Daniel Nardiello won a penalty after six minutes and Ryan Harley converted. However, Exeter's lead lasted four minutes before they were undone by two goals in a minute. Anthony Wordsworth rose unmarked to plant a free header past Paul Jones for the first and then smacked a stunning free-kick into the bottom corner from 30 yards to give the Essex side a half-time lead. Exeter goalkeeper Paul Jones made a great save to deny Andrew Bond, while Nardiello went close for the Grecians.
However, Exeter grabbed a deserved share of the spoils with the equaliser three minutes from time. Richard Logan, who had come on as a second-half substitute got the goal when he latched onto a loose ball inside the penalty box and smashed an instinctive shot from eight yards that gave Mark Cousins no chance.
Notts County 0-3 Huddersfield Town
Anthony Pilkington struck twice as Huddersfield cruised to a 3-0 win at Notts County on the opening day of the npower League One season. County manager Craig Short, who was appointed as Steve Cotterill's successor in June, saw his side's defence exposed on numerous occasions during his first competitive match in charge. Huddersfield should have opened the scoring after 25 minutes when a quick counter attack put Joe Garner clean through, but the Nottingham Forest loanee shot wide. However, the Terriers made amends seven minutes later when Pilkington rifled a shot into the top corner from an acute angle.
Jordan Rhodes, who netted 19 league goals last term, doubled Town's advantage soon after when he latched onto Garner's pass and calmly slotted the ball home. County, who lost just one league game at Meadow Lane on their way to the title last term, saw Liam Chilvers' goal-bound volley blocked by Garner. But after Garner had hit the bar, Huddersfield put the result beyond doubt 17 minutes from time through Pilkington's sweetly struck shot from the edge of the area.
Rochdale 0-0 Hartlepool United
Rochdale had to settle for a point on their long-awaited return to the third tier of English football after a goalless draw with Hartlepool. Pools gave the new boys an early taste of life in League One with Joe Gamble and Andy Monkhouse both going close inside the first six minutes. As Dale began to find their feet, debutant Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro cut in from the left and laid the ball off to Gary Jones who stung Scott Flinders' palms from 20 yards.
Flinders was called into action again after 18 minutes when he denied Jones for a second time after the Rochdale skipper had got on the end of Joe Thompson's cut-back. after the break, half-time substitute Adam Boyd almost made an immediate impact, supplying the cross for Anthony Sweeney to head over from 10 yards before Josh Lillis' acrobatic save kept out Sweeney's 25-yard drive after 52 minutes. Hartlepool continued to have the better chances in the second half - Sam Collins headed over the bar from Gamble's corner 20 minutes from time - but neither side could find a telling breakthrough.
Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 Dagenham & Redbridge
Sheffield Wednesday made a winning start to life in League One as they eased to a 2-0 win over Dagenham. Alan Irvine's men were roared on by a crowd in excess of 23,000 and with 15 minutes on the clock, those fans could have been forgiven for thinking Wednesday's return to the Championship would be a easy process. Scott Doe was helpless in the 13th minute as he turned Gary Teale's well worked corner into his own net, deflecting the ball past veteran goalkeeper Tony Roberts to give the Owls the upper hand.
The Wednesday fans were soon celebrating a second when Clinton Morrison showed his predatory instincts by smashing home from six yards out after latching on to Chris Sedgwick's cushioned header. Roberts soon denied Morrison a second with a smart stop, while Marcus Tudgay saw his glancing header tipped over before Wednesday took their foot off the gas to give Dagenham some hope of a recovery. John Still's side enjoyed plenty of possession after the restart but rarely troubled Owls keeper Nicky Weaver until late on when substitute John Nurse steered a header wide from an excellent centre by Damien McCrory, before Peter Gain hit the bar.
Swindon Town 1-2 Brighton and Hove Albion
Brighton's Matt Sparrow scored twice on his debut in a 2-1 win to make it a happy return to Swindon for manager Gus Poyet. The Seagulls were ahead in the 18th minute when Sparrow, signed on a free transfer from Scunthorpe, blasted a left-foot shot from 20 yards into the top corner. Swindon had few chances to get back into the game, with Jonathan Douglas volleying over the bar after 36 minutes.
Sparrow scored his second when Swindon were caught on the counter-attack and he rounded on-rushing goalkeeper Phil Smith before scoring. Brighton new goalkeeper Casper Ankergren was lucky to stay on after 76 minutes when he brought down Austin on the edge of the area with no defenders behind him. Charlie Austin, scorer of 20 goals last season, gave Swindon hope when he made the most of a rebound following a free-kick by Michael Rose.
Tranmere Rovers 1-2 Oldham Athletic
Dale Stephens grabbed a brace to get Paul Dickov`s reign as Oldham boss off to a victorious start in a 2-1 win. Midfielder Stephens struck in the 27th minute with a fine free-kick which sailed into the bottom corner from 18 yards and he added the decisive second with another fine finish with nine minutes remaining. Latics striker Lewis Alessandra came close to opening the scoring in the seventh minute but home stopper Gunnar Nielsen tipped his effort around a post.
Stephens soon fired home with a fine set-piece and Alessandra went close to adding a second goal after the break. Yet Tranmere should have been level in the 63rd minute when Joss Labadie headed just wide from 12 yards as Oldham survived. The Latics sealed victory in the 81st minute when Stephens collected a pass from debutant Warren Feeney and blasted a right-foot shot into the bottom left-hand corner. That ensured a superb late header for home striker Ian Thomas-Moore was no more than a consolation for the beaten hosts.
Walsall 1-2 Milton Keynes Dons
Football League's youngest ever boss Karl Robinson saw his managerial career at MK Dons get off to a flier as goals from Sam Baldock and Danny Woodards ensured a 2-0 win over Walsall. The Dons were dominant from the outset but had to wait until four minutes before half-time for the goal their pressure merited - and they had a helping hand from Saddlers keeper Jon Brain. The debutant, signed from Macclesfield in the summer, seemed to have smothered a Jermaine Easter through ball but allowed it to slip from his grasp and Luke Chadwick squared for Baldock to flick home into an empty net.
Walsall had failed to register an effort on target in the first half but drew level three minutes after the break. Julian Gray's left-wing corner was met by a stunning leap from Saddlers centre-half Manny Smith 12 yards out and he powered a header back across goal into the far corner. But the Dons claimed the points after 59 minutes with an equally good header, Woodards stooping to bullet home a header into the bottom corner from an Angelo Balanta flag kick.
Yeovil Town 2-1 Leyton Orient
First-half goals from Dean Bowditch and Luke Freeman gave Yeovil a 2-1 victory over Leyton Orient. The Glovers had the better earlier chances with debutants Adam Virgo and Freeman both going just wide in the first seven minutes. But on 12 minutes they took the lead when a long clearance from Paul Huntington was picked up by Bowditch and he cut in from the right before firing a great shot off the far post.
The O's, managed by former Yeovil boss Russell Slade, battled back and were always dangerous on the break, so it was no surprise when they equalised after 41 minutes. Stephen Dawson and Dean Cox did well down the left and a pinpoint cross from the latter was headed in at close range by Alex Revell. But in first-half stoppage time Yeovil regained the lead as Orient keeper Jamie Jones fumbled a tame right-wing cross by Andy Williams and Freeman scrambled in. The second-half again saw chances at both ends with Orient out of luck when Terrell Forbes, making his debut after several seasons at Yeovil, rattled the home post with a terrific header.
Source: DSG
