AFTER Cherries and West Brom gave the 2021-22 Championship season a blockbuster opening with an enjoyable 2-2 draw at Vitality stadium, the campaign is now well under way.
All but four teams have played their first fixture and in second division style it’s thrown up some surprising, or perhaps not so surprising depending on who you ask, results.
Cherries’ next fixture is away to Nottingham Forest next Saturday but they’re one of the four who have yet to play - they travel to Coventry today (4.30pm).
The other fixture is the first this Sunday, August 8 (1.30pm), with promotion-favourites Fulham hosting Neil Warnock’s Middlesbrough at Craven Cottage.
With those two upcoming matches detailed, let’s take a look at what has already happened across the Championship.
Stoke 3-2 Reading
Ex-Cherries Sam Surridge marked his Stoke debut with a late winning goal as the Potters beat Reading 3-2 at the bet365 Stadium.
Reading twice levelled after going a goal down, replying to goals by Nick Powell and Jacob Brown with efforts from John Swift and Liam Moore, before Surridge, having come off the bench, settled the contest with an 85th-minute finish.
Preston 1-4 Hull
Hull made a winning start on their return to the Sky Bet Championship as Grant McCann’s men came from behind to triumph 4-1 at at Preston.
After Emil Riis Jakobsen’s early opener was cancelled out by Keane Lewis-Potter in the 35th minute, Richard Smallwood put the visitors ahead with a deflected strike in the 62nd minute.
Josh Magennis and substitute Andy Cannon then added late efforts to wrap up the Tigers’ thumping victory.
Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Swansea
Swansea, the beaten Championship play-off finalists, lost their first competitive game under new boss Russell Martin, 2-1 at Blackburn.
Rovers scored through Sam Gallagher and a Ben Brereton Diaz penalty either side of the interval before Jamie Paterson reduced the deficit.
Luton 3-0 Peterborough
It was a less enjoyable afternoon for Hull and Blackpool’s fellow newly-promoted side Peterborough, who were beaten 3-0 at Luton.
Elijah Adebayo put the Hatters a goal up on the half-hour mark, and Harry Cornick and Fred Onyedinma added efforts after the break.
Bristol City 1-1 Blackpool
Shayne Lavery’s stoppage-time goal secured a point for play-off winners Blackpool as they drew 1-1 at Nigel Pearson's Bristol City.
Neil Critchley’s Seasiders had trailed to a 44th-minute Chris Martin goal.
Cardiff 1-1 Barnsley
Barnsley’s first league match with Markus Schopp in charge saw them claim a 1-1 draw at Cardiff.
Toby Sibbick equalised for the Tykes in the 69th minute after Marlon Pack had put Cardiff in front nine minutes into the second half.
Derby 1-1 Huddersfield
Wayne Rooney’s Derby were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Huddersfield, Curtis Davies putting the Rams in front in the 39th minute and Naby Sarr levelling six minutes later.
QPR 1-1 Millwall
It also finished 1-1 between QPR and Millwall at Loftus Road, where Jed Wallace opened the scoring for the Lions before Rob Dickie restored parity in the 31st minute.
Sheffield United 0-1 Birmingham
Fellow promotion-hopefuls Sheffield United started life back in the Championship with a 1-0 home defeat by Birmingham in Saturday’s evening kick-off.
Maxime Colin’s first-half header proved enough to give the Blues all three points and inflict a first competitive defeat on new Blades boss Slavisa Jokanovic.
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