The new Football League season got underway this evening as relegated Cardiff City travelled to Ewood Park to face Blackburn Rovers in Championship action.
It was the pre-season promotion favourites who struck first as Kenwyne Jones scored his first goal since his February debut to put the Bluebirds ahead on 18 minutes.
Rovers were level before the break as Tom Cairney whipped his left foot around the ball to beat Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall from 25 yards, after Jordan Rhodes had dispossessed Peter Whittingham.
Gary Bowyer's hosts enjoyed the better of proceedings after the break, but they could not create many clear-cut chances and both sides eventually settled for a point from their Lancashire clash.
Read how the action unfolded below with Sports Mole's live text coverage.
Here we go football fans. The moment you have all been waiting for. That nuisance of a World Cup is out of the way and now it is time to get back to the weekly hustle of the Football League.
And the Championship action starts tonight at Ewood Park, where Blackburn Rovers host a Cardiff City side still wondering what might have been after one failed season in the promise land.
Team news coming your way shortly, and it is a hardly recognisable Cardiff side...
BLACKBURN: Robinson; Baptiste, Hanley, Kilgallon, Olsson; Cairney, Lowe, Evans, Conway; Rhodes, Gestede
SUBS: Kean, King, Dunn, Marshall, Varney, Williamson, Taylor
CARDIFF: Marshall; Brayford, Connolly, Hudson, Fabio; Whittingham, Gunnarsson, Daehli; Maynard, Le Fondre, Jones
SUBS: John, Kim, Eikrem, Adeyemi, Theophile-Catherine, Burgstaller, Moore
Cardiff have lost key players such as Steven Caulker, Jordan Mutch, Gary Medel and Frazier Campbell over the summer, and an injury to Craig Noone depletes their ranks further this evening.
They have managed to keep hold of goalkeeper David Marshall, who was undoubtedly their player of the season last year, and he plays behind a centre-back pair of Marc Hudson and Matt Connolly. Ole Gunner Solskjaer's hand is forced by suspension to Juan Cala and a knock suffered by Ben Turner.
Former Reading poacher Adam le Fondre, Kenwyne Jones and Nicky Maynard, given another chance with City after a couple of loan spells, make up a new-look front three as Solskjaer names an attacking lineup which includes his Norwegian compatriot Mats Daehli at the point of the midfield.
Blackburn give a debut to Bolton Wanderers loanee Alex Baptiste at right-back, but, apart from that, manager Gary Bowyer has much of the same squad to choose from, having done nothing spectacular in the transfer market. Strikers Luke Varney and Chris Brown are his only other senior signings.
Rudy Gestede has passed a late fitness test on an illness that has limited Ben Marshal to a place on the bench, and he partners Jordan Rhodes up front, with former Bluebird Craig Conway on the left.
Any hopes Rovers have of making a promotion push will depend on the goals of Rhodes, who was the Championship's second-top scorer with 25 strikes last season. The Ewood Park bosses have managed to persuade him to sign a new long-term contract with the club despite Premier League interest.
ONE TO WATCH: Cardiff have a striker on their side who could be every bit as threatening as Rhodes if he could find some consistency, and that is Kenwyne Jones. This is the first time in seven years that he has played outside of the Premier League, but is Solskjaer can get him motivated, then the powerful frontman could be one of the best in the division.
PREDICTION: Blackburn have a pretty similar lineup to that of last season and I expect that they may be better organised and prepared for this season opener against the 7-1 promotion favourites. I fancy Rovers to start with a 2-1 victory in which Rhodes gets on the scoresheet. Kickoff imminent...
KICKOFF! The action is underway in Lancashire. Andrew Madley is our referee this evening...
PENALTY APPEAL! It took the Football League season only 60 seconds to deliver us some drama, as Hudson is adjudged to have blocked a Gestede flick on with his arm. It did strike him on the arm, but was not intentional. Madley decides that it is an infringement and therefore a penalty should be given, but he incorrectly rules that the 'offence' was outside of the box. Justice done, as Conway strikes into the wall.
Jones has won a couple of early aerial challenges up against Grant Hanley - that promises to be a real tussle - but neither have quite reached Le Fondre, who is playing off the right wing.
You would get long odds on Hudson being the first goalscorer of the Championship season, but the experienced defender nevertheless tries his luck from range with a shot that flies into the stands.
Whittingham goes down clutching his ankle after a challenge from the Rovers new boy Baptiste, who is actually very lucky to escape unpunished for a late lunge over the top prompted by his poor control.
CHANCE! Paul Robinson is the first goalkeeper called into action as Maynard shows great strength and balance to nod a corner back into the danger area for Jones to head towards goal. Under pressure from Aron Gunnarsson, the former England number one turns the ball over the crossbar.
CHANCE! The Bluebirds again threaten from a corner as Connolly comes from deep to head Whittingham's delivery a few yards over the bar. Cardiff have already put a marker down from set pieces.
SHOT! Rhodes gets a sniff for the first time, finding space to latch onto a knockdown from Gestede and his first instinct is to get a shot away, volley just a few metres high on the turn from 25 yards.
GOAL! BLACKBURN 0-1 CARDIFF (KENWYNE JONES)
Cardiff's pre-season work on set pieces pays dividends as Kenwyne Jones opens the scoring! They had already threatened twice from dead-ball situations, and it proves to be third time lucky for the promotion favourites as, from another excellent Whittingham delivery, Hudson flicks on for Jones, who just stays onside, to power a header through Robinson from six yards out. Cardiff draw first blood!
Blackburn too have a tall side and the potential to be a threat from set pieces. After an evenly-contested aerial ball drops kindly to Hanley on the penalty spot, the defender turns the ball goalwards with his left foot, only for Marshall to make a comfortable save to his right side.
The hosts have yet to string together any prolonged run of passes, and their possession play has been even more disjointed since conceding. Tom Cairney is their main creator but has been quiet thus far.
CHANCE! Jones flicks on to Maynard from a throw-in, and his strike partner returns the favour with a smart pass inside, with Jones having continued his run. The goalscorer advances into the box but, as Matt Kilgallon threatened to come across, he rushes into a tame shot straight at Robinson.
BOOKING: Jason Lowe is shown the first yellow card of the new season for a mistimed slide on Gunnarsson. Cardiff are upset that advantage wasn't played, with Maynard chasing down the loose ball.
Much better from Blackburn in the last few minutes. Cairney's switch of play finds Conway on the left and he gets to the byline before whipping in a cross that Fabio is forced to clear at the back stick.
SHOT! After some patient build-up play, Corry Evans delivers a cross from a narrow angle and Gestede peels off to try an overhead kick. Only the studs of his boot make contact and the miss-kick falls into the path of Conway, whose 15-yard rocket is fiercely struck, but way off target.
GOAL! BLACKBURN 1-1 CARDIFF (TOM CAIRNEY)
Rovers equalise through a great strike from Tom Cairney! Rhodes, known of course for his predatory instincts in front of goal, puts good pressure on Whittingham in the middle of the Cardiff half, harrying him before poking the ball free. Cairney collects, shapes to get onto his left foot and then whips a 25-yard shot across Marshall, who gets two hands on the ball but cannot push it outside of the post.
Gestede flicks into the path of Rhodes, a tactic which worked so well for Blackburn in the latter stages of last season, and the former Huddersfield Town nearly pips the outrushing Marshall to the ball.
BOOKING: In the first of the TWO minutes of stoppage time, referee Madley evens up the card count by cautioning Brayford for leaving his foot in on Conway as the Rovers winger hooked clear.
HALF-TIME: BLACKBURN 1-1 CARDIFF
A first Cardiff goal since his February debut from Kenwyne Jones gave the Bluebirds an 18th-minute lead, but Tom Cairney's fine 25-yard strike levelled things up for Rovers before the break.
The visitors had given Blackburn a couple of warnings as to their threat from dead-ball situations before Jones ran onto Hudson's flick on to power a header through Paul Robinson. It was Whittingham's delivery which brought about the goal, but the midfielder's dawdling on the ball allowed Rhodes to dispossess him and set up Cairney's sweet left-footed equaliser on 40 minutes.
Whittingham was in the thick of it throughout and was on the end of a couple of late Blackburn tackles. Both Alex Baptiste and Corry Evans were lucky to go unpunished for stamping on his ankle.
The referee chose to take no action in either case, but he did have a decision to make as early as the second minute, when he penalised Cardiff defender Marc Hudson for handball outside of the area. As it turned out, it was a harsh handball call that actually took place inside the area.
STATS: It surprises me that Blackburn have had 66% of possession as, until the 35th minute or so, they struggled to move the ball around on the floor. They have looked most dangerous when knocking the ball forward for Gestede and Rhodes to combine. Cardiff lead both the shots on target and corner counts by three to two, but have committed three times as many fouls - six to Blackburn's two.
KICKOFF: Blackburn resume the action and have been forced into a half-time change...
SUBSTITUTION: Matt Kilgallon took a blow to the back in the final stages of the opening period and has been taken off, with midfielder Lee Williamson brought on. This will mean a defensive reshuffle, with Baptiste shifting inside to centre-half and Jason Lowe dropping to right-back.
Marshall charges off his line only to spill a Conway cross, but Brayford had taken up a good position at the back post to make an important clearance. Rovers launch the ball back, though, and Gestede chests it down before hitting the bouncing ball on the volley, a few yards high of goal.
CLOSE! Evans knocks the ball towards Gestede at the back post,and he gets a run on Connolly to win a header which lands just a couple of yards wide. Marshall is again a lucky boy. Having initially opted to come off his line, he watches in no man's land, fingers crossed that his misjudgment is not punished.
Rovers have picked up where they left off and remain on top here. Marcus Olsson makes a venture forward to nutmeg Le Fondre and deliver a cross which Hudson heads away in front of Rhodes.
SUBSTITUTION: Solskjaer waits only 10 minutes of the second half before bringing on new signing Tom Adeyemi, who was signed from Birmingham City this week. The young midfielder replaces Daehli in the middle of the park. The Norwegian started brightly but got lost as the game went on.
I wonder how long it will be before Solskjaer considers another change, with Le Fondre having been completely ineffective playing off the right wing. He does his best work inside the box.
Conway picks out Olsson on the overlap, with Le Fondre not doing his defensive duties on this occasion. He crosses towards the penalty spot, but Rhodes had pulled off to the edge of the area.
Rovers pin Cardiff back, moving the ball around the edge of the box patiently and then recycling play when Cardiff clear their advances into the box. The final Blackburn delivery finds Conway at the far post, and he tries to cushion a pass into Rhodes, but it is just behind the Scot and City clear.
Whittingham and Williamson contest a strong 50-50 challenge, and Blackburn are given the free kick. That was the Cardiff midfielder getting one back for the late tackles on him before the interval.
Blackburn are really on the front foot now. This had been a back-and-forth match for much of the first hour, but one side are on top now and it is Gary Bowyer's team enjoying the sustained pressure.
SUBSTITUTION: Solskjaer introduces another of his summer recruits, with Austrian international Guido Burgstaller coming on to play on the wing. Surprisingly, it is Kenwyne Jones whose number is up and while that will allow Le Fondre to play centrally, I am surprised that Jones has been sacrificed.
Cardiff had tried to slow the tempo of the game down a little in recent minutes, but Blackburn are still attacking with vigour and Conway gets to the byline to cross, only for Brayford to block.
Rhodes does well to roll Hudson 30 yards out and he may have had the chance to go himself, or feed Conway on his inside, had Hudson not tugged him back. Referee Madley waves play on though...
Some respite for Cardiff as they win a free kick near the halfway line, and Whittingham's deep delivery forces Hanley to head behind for a corner, from which Fabio is pulled up for a foul.
BOOKING: Hudson goes through Gestede from behind and earns himself a yellow card for doing so. The defender took some of the ball, but unfairly clattered into Gestede to reach it.
Around 10 minutes plus stoppage time remaining in Lancashire. Can either side find a winner to kickstart their season with three points? Blackburn are looking far more likely at present...
Maynard sprints alongside Olsson down the Cardiff right and threatens to get by him before tripping over his own feet and bundling the ball out of play. He pounds the ground in frustration.
BOOKING: Burgstaller concedes an unnecessary free kick 40 yards out which will give Blackburn a chance to load the box. The Austrian is booked for his slide on Conway, too.
From the resultant set piece, Gestede nods the ball back into a central area and Hanley gets his head to it. There is no power on the effort though and Marshall gathers under little pressure. Shortly afterwards, Cairney attempts another long-range strike which this time he fails to control.
SUBSTITUTION: A frustrating night for Le Fondre ends prematurely as Magnus Wolff Eikrem replaces him for the final few minutes at Ewood Park. Blackburn continue to press.
SHOT! Williamson shifts a free-kick to his right for Conway to blast, and while there is plenty of power behind the strike, it again lacks control and Marshall waves it into the stands.
We will have THREE minutes of second-half stoppage time. Can Blackburn make them count?
The ball is deep in the Blackburn half, and Cardiff have a late corner as Baptiste clears behind.
FULL-TIME: BLACKBURN 1-1 CARDIFF
So, the points are shared in the opening Football League fixture of the season. Kenwyne Jones headed Cardiff into an 18th-minute lead, but Tom Cairney's sweet left foot earned Blackburn a draw.
Both managers seem fairly content with a point, with Blackburn holding one of the pre-season promotion favourites and Cardiff coming away with a result from a difficult away trip.
That's it from Sports Mole for tonight. Thanks for joining us and, rest assured, there is plenty more to come from us as we prepare for what is sure to be another thrilling Football League season, which gets down to business with a full fixture list tomorrow afternoon. Until then...
Written by
Joe Fish
Joe Fish
