Mansfield manager Nigel Clough was frustrated by the way his side performed in their 2-0 loss at Salford on the opening day of the new League Two season.Two first-half strikes put the game firmly in Salford’s favour against last season’s beaten play-off finalists, but Clough believes that both were ‘schoolboy’ goals to concede.“The result was extremely poor; our per...Full Story »

New AFC Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson credited a positive off-season atmosphere at Plough Lane as his side claimed their first league victory since December with a confident 2-0 win over Gillingham.Ethan Chislett’s stunning opener and a second-half header from the outstanding Jack Currie ensured that the Dons triumphed in this fixture between two relegated sides to claim three points f...Full Story »

Accrington manager John Coleman praised the “courage and character” of his side as they quickly responded to falling behind in stoppage time to draw 2-2 with Charlton.The League One clash was level at 1-1 heading into six minutes of added time, after Stanley’s Sean McConville cancelled out Scott Fraser’s first-half opener.Charlton thought they had won it when Miles Leabur...Full Story »

Paul Hurst insisted a contentious penalty award changed the game after Grimsby were beaten 2-0 by Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road.Grimsby, back in the Football League after a season’s absence, had battled well in the first half but George Moncur converted a penalty for a handball offence three minutes after the interval and Tom James doubled the O’s lead with a wonder-strike from 30 y...Full Story »

Danny Johnson’s hat-trick got Paul Hartley’s reign as Hartlepool manager off to a nightmare start as Walsall dished out a 4-0 hammering.After Brandon Comley’s deflected opener, Johnson, on loan from Mansfield until January, stole the show with a dream debut.Pools keeper Ben Killip foiled Taylor Allen early on but could do nothing when Comley’s strike from 18 yards took a ...Full Story »

Carlisle striker Kristian Dennis ensured Kevin Betsy’s first Sky Bet League Two game in charge of Crawley ended in a 1-0 defeat.Dennis needed only five minutes to register the Cumbrians’ opening goal of the new campaign.Paul Simpson’s side should have achieved a wider margin of victory but they were denied by on-loan Brentford debutant goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe in the opening ...Full Story »

Jordan Roberts hit a late winner to give Stevenage a deserved 2-1 win at Tranmere in Sky Bet League Two.It looked like the points would be shared after Kane Hemmings had cancelled out Jake Reeves’ first-half opener.But debutant Roberts smashed home from close range with six minutes to go to earn a victory for the visitors.Stevenage started strongly with Ross Doohan making early saves from ...Full Story »

Morecambe and Shrewsbury played out an opening-day 0-0 draw at the Mazuma Stadium.A game that saw plenty of effort, but few clear chances at either end, finished all square with both defences on top.Shrewsbury started quickly and created two chances in the opening five minutes, with Luke Leahy firing wide and drilling a shot into the side netting before Morecambe had the best chance of the half ...Full Story »

Partick Thistle got their Scottish Championship campaign off to a winning start with a 3-2 victory against Dundee.Newly-promoted Thistle were given a late scare by the Dee, who were relegated from the Premiership last season, after they scored two goals in the second half but were able to see the game out.Aidan Fitzpatrick put Thistle in the lead, smashing the ball home from the edge of the box....Full Story »

Bradford debutant Emmanuel Osadebe suffered a suspected broken leg in their 0-0 draw with Doncaster.Play was stopped for eight minutes before Osadebe was stretchered off. Doncaster’s Liam Ravenhill was booked for the foul that caused the early injury and was substituted straight away by manager Gary McSheffrey.But Doncaster were reduced to 10 men just before half-time when striker Lee Toml...Full Story »

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru scored twice for Sheffield Wednesday in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Portsmouth in Sky Bet League One.Marvin Johnson also scored for the hosts while the Pompey goals came from Connor Ogilvie, Michael Jacobs and Colby Bishop.Wednesday striker Lee Gregory was shown a red card towards the end of a second half which produced five of the six goals..The hosts took an eighth-minute lea...Full Story »

Harry Darling’s stunning strike earned Swansea a 1-1 draw at Rotherham but they had goalkeeper Andy Fisher to thank for keeping the point.The centre-half marked his debut in fine style as he crashed a 25-yard effort into the top corner to cancel out Cheidozie Ogebene’s opener for the Millers.Ogbene, who has been linked with a summer move to the Swans, nodded his side into an early le...Full Story »

AFC Wimbledon claimed their first league victory since December as life in League Two under new manager Johnnie Jackson began with a confident 2-0 win over Gillingham.After a tight opening 15 minutes, Ethan Chislett met Lee Brown’s partially cleared corner to spectacularly fire past Gills’ on-loan Crawley goalkeeper Glenn Morris from the edge of the box.Morris kept his side in the ga...Full Story »

Ryan Haynes marked his debut with a late winner as Northampton started the new season with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Colchester at Sixfields.Sam Hoskins twice put the Cobblers in front but both times Colchester hit back, only for Haynes to pop up with an 89th-minute winner.Northampton controlled the first half and they deservedly moved in front after 27 minutes when Danny Hylton’s subli...Full Story »

Debutant Omar Bogle scored the equaliser as Newport came from behind to draw 1-1 away to Sutton on the opening day of the season.Lebanese striker Omar Bugiel had fired the home side into a welcome 24th-minute lead with a clinical close-range strike.But Bogle equalised for the visitors with a 38th-minute header from a Mickey Demetriou long throw.Newport keeper Nick Townsend produced a stunning sa...Full Story »

Conor Hourihane’s superb strike gave Derby a 1-0 win over Oxford in their first game in Sky Bet League One for 36 years.Oxford had chances in front of a 31,000 crowd before Hourihane’s quality finish gave Derby victory in the club’s first competitive match since exiting administration at the start of the month.Matty Taylor fired wide under pressure from Curtis Davies in the 19t...Full Story »

Grimsby suffered defeat on their return to the Football League as Leyton Orient eased to a 2-0 win at Brisbane Road.The Mariners, promoted back at the end of last season via the National League play-offs, were beaten by a penalty from George Moncur and wonder strike from Tom James.The second half was just three minutes old when the O’s broke the deadlock.Referee Chris Pollard adjudged Luke...Full Story »

On-loan Aston Villa attacking midfielder Finn Azaz got Plymouth off to a winning start in Sky  Bet League One, as they beat Barnsley 1-0 in front of 14,624 at Home Park.The game’s decisive moment came just before half-time, following a brilliant break down the left by playmaker Danny Mayor, who passed inside the penalty box to Bali Mumba.Mumba’s square pass found fellow debutant...Full Story »

It's always going to be tough for young goalkeepers to get a chance with the biggest clubs, and it's even harder when they don't shine on any rare chance they get with the first team. Arthur Okonkwo is highly rated at Arsenal but did have a nightmare in a preseason game vs Hibs last season, but he bounced back to establish himself as the main stopper for the U23 side. The next logical step w...Full Story »

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has reaffirmed hopes of bringing back Lionel Messi. Laporta has accepted he is partly responsible for Messi leaving for PSG last summer. Speaking in New York, Laporta stated: “It is clear that Leo's stage at Barça did not end as we all would have liked. I feel co-responsible for this ending. "I believe that it is a provisional end and that we will...Full Story »