League football returns - Championship round up.
Championship: At 12:45 yesterday Birmingham and Sheffield United kicked of at St Andrews to start new season off, As expected the game itself was a tight affair and it took an injury time goal from substitute Kevin Phillips to seal all 3 points for Alex McLeish`s side.
Elsewhere in the division one of the pre season favourites for promotion last season FA Cup finalists Cardiff needed a last minute goal from Roger Johnson to see of the challenge of Southampton 2-1, and a last minute gaol also gave Bristol City 3 points on a 1-0 at Blackpool.
Derby, who last season set all the wrong type of records when being relegated from the Premier League look to have picked up where they left f by losing to promoted Doncaster Rovers 1-0 at Pride Park. Manager Paul Jewell must be a worried man even at this stage of the season.
The division`s money club Q.P.R. started their quest for Premiership football by coming from behind to beat Barnsley 2-1 at Loftus Road. Whilst another London club with promotion aspirations Charlton had a 2-0 win against Swansea City.
In the other games played yesterday in the division, Coventry started off with a 2-0 win against Norwich, Neil Warnock`s young Palace side fought out a 0-0 encounter with Aidy Boothroyd`s Watford,Ipswich who last season were almost unbeatable at home lost 2-1 at Portman Road to Preston who hope to make up for the disappointment of last season,Plymouth held another promotion hopeful Wolves to a 2-2 draw at Home Park, and finally Sheffield Wednesday for so long under achievers won 4-1 against a Burnley side who many had rated as outside promotion hopefuls.
So 1 down 45 games to go and it will be interesting to look back at this at the end of the season when the issues have been settled to see early promise developed into long term success.
