Bury got off to the perfect start with a 1-0 at Gigg Lane over Walsall.

Jermaine’s Beckford’s goal on the stroke of half-time was the difference between the two sides but would have been greater were it not for Sandler’s keeper Gillespie who spectacularly saved a penalty in each half.

Manager Lee Clark was naturally delighted with the 1-0 win telling the club’s website

“You always want to start the season with a win, and I am happy that we have. The clean sheet is a great start for us and defensively, we looked strong, we looked sound and we stopped Walsall from hurting us. Even though the basics of goalkeeping from Joe Murphy were of a high standard, he hasn’t had a lot of saves to make and that’s down to the work of the lads in front of him.”

Rochdale’s journey to the South Coast ended in defeat to newly promoted Portsmouth and their cause was not helped by being reduced to ten men before half time when Keith Keane saw red when he brought down Conor Chaplin as last man and were  reduced to nine when Jamal Lowe was sent off nine minutes from time for a dangerous tackle on Jamie Allen.

Second half goals from Brett Pitman who opened the scoring in the first minute of the second half and got his second from a header on the stroke of full time saw Dale head North pointless.

Oldham’s season didn’t get off to the best of starts at Boundary Park, goals in either half from Wes Thomas and Josh Ruffels secured the victory for the visitors Oxford United

Athletic struggled to create openings against a stubborn Oxford United defence and the scoreline could have been worse had it not been for Wilson in Athletic’s goal.

Manager John Sheridan told the club’s website that believes defeat was down to the game’s “fine margins.”

“Result wise it’s hard to take because you’re at home in the first game of the season and you want to get off to a good start but I actually don’t think there was a lot between the two teams.” Said Sheridan.

 

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