Will Lankshear struck twice after the interval on his debut as Middlesbrough recovered from behind to begin their Championship campaign with a battling 2-1 win, bringing newly promoted Lincoln’s extraordinary nine-month unbeaten sequence to an end.
The Imps, appearing in the second tier for the first time in 65 years, began brightly and went ahead through Adam Reach in the 12th minute. Lankshear, the former Tottenham striker, drew the hosts level shortly after the hour mark before forcing home the decisive goal during stoppage time.
The late defeat was cruel on a determined Lincoln side whose 29-match unbeaten run in all competitions, stretching back to early December, finally ended. It was also their first league fixture under joint head coaches Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, who took charge following Michael Skubala’s move to Bristol City in May.
West Brom started the season by securing a gritty 2-1 victory away to Norwich. The visitors spent much of the contest under pressure at Carrow Road but defended resolutely before late goals from Aune Heggebø, whose finish appeared to involve a handball, and Jimmy-Jay Morgan delivered an unexpected win.
Substitute Mathias Kvistgaarden pulled one back for Norwich in the 90th minute, but the response came too late. The hosts were left wondering how their dominance had failed to produce even a single point.
Two goals from Ilias Chair helped QPR overturn an early deficit and defeat Portsmouth 3-1, earning their first triumph at Fratton Park in 26 years. Pompey controlled the opening 30 minutes and moved ahead through Terry Devlin’s spectacular long-range effort, but Rangers responded with three goals in a 15-minute spell before the break to claim their first away win in this fixture since May 2000.
Josh Coburn netted twice as Millwall began their campaign with a convincing 2-0 success against 10-man Bristol City at Ashton Gate. The hosts were reduced to 10 players in the 36th minute when Adam Randell received a second booking after committing a foul that stopped a counterattack.
Coburn opened the scoring five minutes later, meeting Ryan Leonard’s low delivery from the right with a volley at the near post. He added his second in the 50th minute, capitalising on poor defending to guide an uncontested downward header into the net from 10 yards.
The loss left Michael Skubala without a win in his first two home matches as City manager. His team had previously suffered a surprise Carabao Cup elimination against League Two side Walsall and have yet to score under his leadership.
Steven Schumacher marked Bolton’s first Championship victory in seven years after his team held off a late comeback attempt from Preston. First-half goals by Sam Dalby and Thierry Gale put Bolton in control, but substitute Jusef Erabi reduced the deficit in the 86th minute. Liam Lindsay then headed over during stoppage time when presented with an opportunity to equalise.
Schumacher said the tense finish illustrated the demands of the division. Although Bolton had controlled much of the match, he admitted they were fortunate Preston failed to convert a clear late chance. He described the occasion as especially important because it marked the club’s long-awaited return to this level.
Tyreece Campbell maintained his excellent early-season form by scoring in the 80th minute to give Charlton a 2-1 win against Derby at The Valley. The result completed a difficult week for the Rams after a proposed takeover by Saudi official Turki Alalshikh fell through on Monday.
Sammie Szmodics, who also found the net in Derby’s EFL Cup defeat by Lincoln, gave the visitors a half-time advantage. Lloyd Jones headed Charlton level shortly after signing a new two-year deal, before Campbell produced a superb finish to secure all three points for Nathan Jones’s team.
Adam Idah scored the deciding goal with his first involvement after coming off the bench as Swansea recovered from a goal down to defeat Stoke 2-1. The Republic of Ireland forward had been on the field for less than a minute when he struck in the 66th minute, helping the Swans record their first victory at the bet365 Stadium in more than five years.
The outcome was particularly painful for the Potters after Eric Bocat had put them ahead in the 10th minute. Joseph Opoku equalised for Swansea 13 minutes later, punishing weak defending with a powerful right-footed finish.
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