Gyokeres rescues draw for Coventry in Championship

Sunderland, making their return to English football's second-tier after a four-year absence, were heading for victory thanks to Jack Clarke's 12th-minute header at their Stadium of Light ground. But, after Coventry spent most of the second half camped in the Sunderland half, Sweden striker Gyokeres's shot into the bottom corner earned the visitors a point. The bulk of fixtures on the opening weekend of the new season, starting unusually early because of the World Cup in Qatar later this year, took place on Saturday.

Norwich made a losing start on their return to the Championship as they were beaten 1-0 away to Cardiff in a match where both sides had a player sent off.  Millwall made a strong start to the new season as teenage centre-half Charlie Cresswell marked his debut by scoring twice in a 2-0 win over Stoke. Hull came from behind to defeat Bristol City 2-1 thanks to Ozan Tufan's second-half penalty and Jean Michael Seri's deflected stoppage-time strike after Andreas Weimann had put the Robins in front.

Lewis Travis secured a 1-0 win for Blackburn over QPR, with Blackpool defeating Reading by the same score thanks to Callum Connolly's ninth-minute goal. Swansea came from behind to draw 1-1 away to promoted Rotherham. 

Middlesbrough and West Brom also shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at the Riverside.Isaiah Jones gave Boro a 10th-minute lead but West Brom boss Steve Bruce saw one of his new signings, John Swift, equalise five minutes after the break, after being played in a cross from another in Jed Wallace. "The addition of Swift and Wallace in particular helped us," Bruce said. "We were bottom six last season for goals scored. We needed to address that."

Wigan, the League One champions last season, gained a point with a goalless draw against Preston, who had Ched Evans sent off late on, while the match between Luton and Birmingham also ended 0-0. 

 

July 31, 2022