It was a great start for our teams in League One with opening day wins for both Wigan and Bolton
Wigan who start the campaign with an eight point deduction had Charlie Wyke to thank as he described his opening day brace at Derby County as one of the best feelings he’s had in football in recent years.
Wyke, 30, was the hero for Shaun Maloney’s men at Pride Park, scoring a goal in either half to help Latics enjoy a perfect start to the 2023/24 Sky Bet League One campaign.
The experienced frontman wheeled away to celebrate in front of the 2,000-plus Tics supporters in the first half, and Wyke expressed that the Latics faithful deserved that moment and victory due to the support they showed during a turbulent summer.
Meanwhile Ian Evatt was delighted to see Bolton Wanderers hit the ground running with an opening-day win and another gear to find.
Evatt’s men eased to a 3-0 victor over Lincoln City in front of 20,000 fans at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.Jack Iredale’s first goal for the club less than four minutes in set the tone before Victor Adeboyejo also scored from a corner early in the second half to all but bank the points while an own-goal from Lincoln captain Paudie O’Connor completed the scoring and Evatt was happy with the day’s work.
“I’m pleased. It was important we got the result today. I thought there was lots to like about the performance,” said the Wanderers’ boss.
Salford started their season off with three points with a 2-0 victory away at Forest Green Rovers.Second half goals from Conor McAleny and Matt Smith ensured a first three points of the season for the Ammies
Stockport’s season did not get off to the start that they wouild have wanted in front of their home fans seeing them suffer a late single-goal defeat against Gillingham in front of a 9,000-plus crowd at Edgeley Park.
Substitute Robbie McKenzie’s 86th-minute strike settled the game in the visitors’ favour, as well as extending a run of successive opening-day defeats to five for the Hatters.
In the Conference Rochdale’s Jimmy McNulty came away with more positives than negatives despite Dale’s opening day defeat.
A solitary goal consigned Dale to defeat at home to Ebbsfleet United, but the Head Coach felt Dale did more than enough to win the game.
“In a way, I’m glad the first game is now done and out of the way,” said McNulty.
“There is a lot of anxiety towards that first game. There’s almost a feeling that you get ten points for a win on the opening day, not three.It’s a feeling that certainly bubbles underneath. I’m no different, I was desperate to win the first game.
Oldham fell to a disappointing defeat on the opening day of the season to Southend in a game that also saw Will Sutton sent off for a two-footed challenge on Nathan Ralph in the four nil defeat.
And Altrincham suffered late heartbreak in their 2023/24 National League opener, as a 98th minute equaliser from Dagenham and Redbridge saw them draw 1-1 in their first game of the season.
Chris Conn-Clarke scored a well-worked goal for the Robins, only for it to be cancelled out late into stoppage time, ensuring that the points were shared between the two sides.
