BIRMINGHAM BEGAN LIFE back in English football’s second tier with a morale sapping 2-1 defeat at Derby, as the Championship season kicked off in England.
Curtis Davies had given Chris Hughton’s side – who have lost the majority of their best players since relegation – the lead on 19 minutes but Jason Shackell and Steve Davies made it a miserable opener for the former Newcastle manager.
Ipswich made light of Connor Wickham’s sale to Sunderland by beating Bristol City 3-0 at Portman Road, Michael Chopra scoring either side of a Lee Martin strike, while promotion favourites Leicester began their season with a 1-0 win at Coventry. Lee Peltier was the scorer.
Millwall had seemed set to easily beat Reading but Mathieu Manset scored twice in the last five minutes to salvage a 2-2 draw for the beaten play-off finalists.
Steve McClaren’s Nottingham Forest were held to a scoreless draw by Barnsley, while his old club Middlesbrough had to settle for 2-2 draw at home to Portsmouth.
All the results from Saturday’s Championship action:
- Brighton 2-1 Doncaster
- Bristol City 0-3 Ipswich
- Burnley 2-2 Watford
- Coventry 0-1 Leicester
- Derby 2-1 Birmingham
- Middlesbrough 2-2 Portsmouth
- Nott’m Forest 0-0 Barnsley
- Peterborough 2-1 Crystal Palace
- Reading 2-2 Millwall
