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Michael Chopra scored a first-half brace to hand his side an emphatic 4-0 victory over Scunthorpe in their Championship opener at the new Cardiff City Stadium.

The club record £4 million signing from Sunderland netted either side of a Jay Bothroyd effort as the Bluebirds ran riot with three goals inside 24 minutes in the opening period.

Chopra - back with the Welsh club after an unsuccessful two-year spell with the Black Cats - broke the deadlock after 21 minutes and bagged again on the stroke of half-time.

Bothroyd was also on target and Peter Whittingham converted a late penalty to ensure Scunthorpe endured a miserable return to English football's second tier.

Nigel Clough's Derby edged out Darren Ferguson's promoted Peterborough 2-1 as two footballing dynasties collided at Pride Park.

Centre-half Miles Addison stooped bravely to head past Joe Lewis after just four minutes to give Derby the early lead.

Peterborough levelled in the second-half when Stephen Bywater needlessly brought down Shaun Batt for a penalty. George Boyd coolly stepped up to score from the spot, sending Bywater the wrong way.

However, a goalkeeping howler at the other end spoiled all United's hard work. Lewis flapped at a Kris Common's corner and after a scramble inside the six-yard box, Gary Teale poked the ball home.

Jimmy Kebe spurned the best chance to give Brendan Rodgers a debut win as Reading were held to a goalless draw by the 10 men of Nottingham Forest.

Winger Kebe stabbed wide from inside the six-yard box as Rodgers failed to inspire the Royals to a first win at the Madejski Stadium since January.

Billy Davies's Forest side had several good chances of their own but failed to find the target as the sides played out a repeat of the goalless draw they recorded on the opening day of last season.

Forest were reduced to 10 men with two minutes remaining when defender Luke Chambers was shown a second yellow card for an incident off the ball but Reading were unable to capitalise.

Barnsley hit back from two goals down to snatch an unlikely point in a 2-2 draw against Sheffield Wednesday in the South Yorkshire derby at Hillsborough.

Wednesday looked a class above in the first half and went in at the interval with a deserved two-goal lead through goals from Jermaine Johnson and Michael Gray.

But Tykes teenager Jacob Butterfield fired his first senior goal for the rejuvenated visitors in the 58th minute and Jon Macken struck a 75th-minute equaliser to send Barnsley's 5,500 travelling fans in crowd of 30,644 into raptures.

Martyn Waghorn and Dany N'Guessan came off the bench to score debut goals and give Leicester a winning start on their return to the Championship as they beat Swansea 2-1.

Sunderland loanee Waghorn and N`Guessan were introduced by manager Nigel Pearson with the Foxes trailing to Ashley Williams` header, but both scored in a three-minute spell to turn the game on its head.

Until then, the Swans had looked like clinging on to the win to end their opening-day hoodoo - they have now lost their first game in the past four seasons - especially when goalkeeper Dorus de Vries saved a Steve Howard penalty.

Preston skipper Callum Davidson struck a controversial last-minute penalty to complete a fine fightback and seal a 2-2 draw against Bristol City.

City debutants Paul Hartley and David Clarkson struck second-half goals to put Gary Johnson's men 2-0 ahead.

Hartley fired home from the penalty spot in the 49th minute and Clarkson claimed a second nine minutes later when he converted a cross from fellow debutant Danny Haynes.

That looked to have sealed victory for the Robins but Jon Parkin's superb volley in the 82nd minute cut the gap and Davidson held his nerve from 12 yards in the closing stages.

Peter Ramage was the unlikely hero as title hopefuls QPR avoided an embarrassing defeat to Blackpool as they drew 1-1 at Loftus Road.

Despite dominating the opening 45 minutes with Heidar Helguson hitting the bar, Rangers found themselves behind at the interval after Ben Burgess's struck a well-worked opener after 37 minutes.

Rangers introduced Rowan Vine, Akos Buzsaky and Patrick Agyemang off the bench but the leveller came from an unlikely source as former Newcastle defender Ramage drilled in his first goal in senior football - after more than 100 appearances - four minutes from time.

Malky Mackay and Danny Graham were denied dream starts to life at Watford after Doncaster secured a 1-1.

Graham, who joined the Hornets from Carlisle this summer, put the hosts ahead just before the half-hour mark.

But striker James Hayter headed home before the break to deny Watford a winning start to life under Mackay.

Alan Lee's second-half header was enough to salvage a point for Crystal Palace as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Plymouth at Selhurst Park.

Krisztian Timar's early strike had given Plymouth the lead but Lee got on the end of Victor Moses' fine cross to send the home crowd into raptures.

Lee had only been introduced as a first-half substitute after summer signing Stern John sustained a suspected broken arm.

PA Sport