CARDIFF CITY

LEO Bonatini scored on his Sky Bet Championship debut as big-spending Wolves beat recently-relegated Middlesbrough 1-0 at Molineux.

The Brazilian striker, signed on a season-long loan from Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, capitalised on a defensive mistake from Daniel Ayala to net the only goal on 33 minutes.

Former Porto midfielder Ruben Neves, who reportedly cost Wolves £15 million this summer, also impressed on his first appearance as Boro failed to find a way back into the game.

Hull also struggled on their return to the Championship but Jarrod Bowen’s first goal for the club secured a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa.

Villa, captained by former Chelsea defender John Terry, made a bright start and were ahead after seven minutes through Gabby Agbonlahor.

The Tigers roared back, though, and Bowen’s second-half volley ensured it would not be a losing start for new boss Leonid Slutsky.

Bobby Reid netted a brace and Famara Diedhiou scored on his first appearance as Bristol City beat Barnsley 3-1 at Ashton Gate.

Reid put the hosts ahead after 16 minutes before setting up Senegal striker Diedhiou, a club-record £5.3 million signing from Angers, who headed home at the back post.

City midfielder Reid then added his second of the day from close range on the half-hour mark as the Robins ran riot in the first period.

Ryan Hedges pulled a goal back for Barnsley in added time but it was not enough to deny Bristol City boss Lee Johnson victory against his former club.

Billy Sharp picked up where he left off last season by scoring the only goal in Sheffield United’s 1-0 win over Brentford at Bramall Lane.

The striker netted 30 goals in League One last term and took just 39 minutes to open his account for the new campaign, the Blades’ first in the second tier for seven years.

Joe Garner also got off to the perfect start by scoring on his Ipswich debut in the 1-0 victory at home against Birmingham.

The former Rangers striker completed a counter-attack five minutes after half-time to seal three points for the Tractor Boys at Portman Road.

Conor Washington fared even better as he scored twice in QPR’s 2-0 win over 10-man Reading at Loftus Road.

The ex-Peterborough forward headed the hosts into the lead on 22 minutes and converted a penalty on the hour mark after Royals defender Tiago Ilori was sent off.

Daniel Johnson’s second-half penalty helped Preston to a 1-0 victory at home to Sheffield Wednesday, while Fulham were the beneficiaries of a 25th-minute Russell Martin own goal, but former Swansea City striker Nelson Oliveira stepped off the bench to earn a 1-1 draw for Norwich at Craven Cottage.

In yesterday afternoon’s teatime game, Leeds got new head coach Thomas Christiansen’s reign off to a winning start with a 3-2 victory at newly-promoted Bolton.

Kalvin Phillips (2) and Chris Wood were on target for the visitors, with Gary Madine and Adam Le Fondre (penalty) replying.

AS far as opening-day statements go, Cardiff City’s start to 2017-18 will probably seem innocuous to many.

After all, this was a win against a side who were nigh on every bookmaker’s favourites for relegation this Championship season. And a victory only secured three minutes from time at that.

To some, certainly those who wonder whether Cardiff are to be taken seriously this term, it could have seemed plainly unimpressive.

So why, then, did the Bluebirds’ opening-day success at Burton seem so much more than that? Why was there a feeling of significance about getting up and running with three points in those final three minutes?

At least part of the reason was offered up by captain Sean Morrison, one of five players who perhaps had extra reason to smile.

“We know what happened here last year,” said the centre-back. “It was a very, very low point of the season.”

Morrison was, of course, referring to the bleak Bluebirds performance at the same ground last season, a 2-0 defeat that saw Paul Trollope’s short reign as manager hit the skids at the Pirelli.

The defender did suggest that Cardiff’s remaining players “owed Burton one”, but it was not the fault of Nigel Clough’s men that the Bluebirds had lost their way so badly last autumn.

Cardiff needed to look at themselves as a club at that time, a collective blame needed and a unifying figure required. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but unmistakably the right blend for Cardiff, as was proved against the Brewers.

“The main thing for us is that when we came here last year we got bullied, it was men against boys,” said Morrison after being pushed on whether the game felt like burying ghosts. “We came off the pitch not doing ourselves justice, not doing the badge justice.

“This time, and it was always going to be tough against this side here, we stood up, we showed the resolve we didn’t have at the beginning of last season.”

It was obvious and it should be seen as a statement. Even if it is far too premature to make grand predictions about the season ahead, it was at least a statement of the marked improvement the Bluebirds have made.

They were just too strong for Burton, too fit, too drilled, too up for it to allow a struggle in the first half to get hold of the ball result in any meaningful chances.

It is wrong to say that is all Neil Warnock’s sides can muster or that can be expected of them. Here there were some very neat interchanges of play, including Lee Tomlin in support of the frontline, for example, and there is a willingness to play and probe.

And then there was the pleasing sight of being able to change the way of playing, to rip up one system and try a different way of grinding down and then breaking through Burton.

When the three centre-backs struggled a little, there was enough trust and options to give something else a go.

They are things that might not mean much to others on the outside, but it was quite a statement to themselves that they have moved on.

Because while there will be struggles at times this season, as a bare minimum you know Cardiff are going to be more hard-nosed this year when it matters, a bit more worldlywise, things that can mean the difference in the Championship.

It can mean clean sheets which Cardiff did not pick up enough of last year, even after Warnock’s arrival. Throw in the awful habit of own goals last term, and there was a statement as Morrison himself made a timely intervention to stop a late Burton attack to try and cancel out Cardiff’s lead.

“Blackie (Warnock’s assistant, Kevin Blackwell) came up with a stat for us that says teams in the top six over the last 10 years in the Championship have picked up at least 15 clean sheets,” Morrison revealed. “So that’s our target. We were actually only four off that average last year, but it wasn’t enough and we conceded too many late goals. If we can crack on and surpass the clean sheets target, then we’ve got a chance because you know when the big man gets up and faces goal, he can win you a game.”

Morrison was, of course, referring to Kenneth Zohore, who put initial frustrations aside at Burton to deliver in some style in the later stages.

Already he’s given good reason to doubt those bookmakers who haven’t considered the Danish striker worthy of a mention in the division’s top-scorer odds. If Warnock can keep him committed, keep him honest and keep him fit, then there is a hope of having a finisher capable of making the most of Cardiff ’s platform of strength.

It’s a long road ahead, but Cardiff have come a long way already.

It might not seem much to others, but those who know had every reason to feel good about such an opening-day statement.