Championship Round-Up: Norwich hit Blackburn for four, Nottingham Forest win seven-goal thriller

Norwich City marked their return to the Football League with an emphatic 4-1 victory at Blackburn Rovers on the opening day of the new Championship campaign.

The Canaries raced into a 3-0 lead before the half-an-hour mark inside Ewood Park, thanks to Jacob Murphy’s first goal for the club, a thunderous 25-yard strike, Wes Hoolahan’s neat finish and Cameron Jerome’s tap-in. Steven Naismith added a fourth after the restart, before Rovers pulled one back through Anthony Stokes.

Norwich’s Naismith completed the scoring at Ewood Park – Photo: Mark Leech / Offside.

Ipswich Town’s new boy Grant Ward was the difference as the Tractor Boys defeated newly-promoted Barnsley 4-2, with all six of the game’s goals coming in the second-half. Ward, who recently joined from Tottenham hit a hat-trick to ensure Mick McCarthy’s men got off to a winning start alongside David McGoldrick’s penalty for the hosts. The Tykes twice came from behind with Conor Hourihane and Marley Watkins’ strikes making it 2-2, before Town ran away with it.

Nottingham Forest edged out Burton Albion in an enthralling 4-3 win, in one of the Football League’s best matches of the weekend. Britt Assombalonga opened the scoring, before Albion equalised and then took the lead through Lucas Atkins and Lloyd Dyer, but Thomas Lam made it 2-2 on the verge of half-time.

Philippe Montanier’s side were soon 4-2 up in the second period as Oliver Burke and Assombalonga capitalised, yet Tom Naylor’s late header meant it was a nervy finish at the City Ground.

Title favourites Newcastle United suffered a shock 1-0 opening defeat on Friday night at Fulham in the first game of the 2016-17 campaign. Matt Smith’s header was all that separated the two sides, as Rafa Benitez’s men were given a clear indication of the difficult task ahead of them if they want to earn promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

Queens Park Rangers were the victors as they beat Leeds United comfortably 3-0 at home. Goals from Nedum Onuoha, Tjaronn Chery and Sebastian Polter meant it was a bad day at the office for the Whites’ new manager Garry Monk, who would have been hoping for a better start.

Sheffield Wednesday put last season’s play-off final defeat behind them as they narrowly beat Aston Villa 1-0 on Sunday, thanks to a late strike from Fernando Forestieri, who pounced on a poor clearance by Villans goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini, which allowed the forward to give the Owls all three points at Hillsborough.

Two of the league’s early favourites for promotion Derby County and Brighton & Hove Albion drew a blank as they drew 0-0 in a game that neither side managed to create any clear-cut chances, as new Rams boss Nigel Pearson failed to get off to a winning start.

Bristol City scored twice in the final ten minutes as they came from behind to beat newly promoted Wigan Athletic 2-1 at Ashton Gate. Alex Gilbey gave the Latics the lead with a fine finish, but late strikes from Bobby Reid and on-loan Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham ensured the Robins won their first game at their newly developed stadium.

Jaap Stam won his first match in charge of Reading as they beat Preston North End 1-0 in a tight affair. But it was one of the Royals’ summer recruits John Swift, who made the difference with a terrific right-footed strike that flew into the top corner.

New Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Walter Zenga saw his side come from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Rotherham United, despite being reduced to ten men. Danny Ward and Will Vaulks put the Millers comfortably in the lead, with the latter scoring a sensational 25-yard strike.

Reading’s match winner: Summer signing Swift – Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

The visitors pulled one back through George Saville, but then saw highly-rated young defender Dominic Iorfa sent-off for denying a goalscoring opportunity. Yet debutant Jon Dadi Bodvarsson equalised with just over an hour played.

Huddersfield Town edged out Brentford to win 2-1 as debutants Elias Kachunga and Kasey Palmer scored either side of Nico Yennaris’ equaliser.

And finally, Birmingham City drew 0-0 at home to Cardiff City as both sides drew a blank in their quest to get off to a winning start to the campaign.

Player of the Weekend: Grant Ward (Ipswich Town)
Team of the Weekend: Norwich City
Goal of the Weekend: Jacob Murphy (Blackburn Rovers vs NORWICH CITY)