Championship round-up: Fulham and Cardiff suffer shock defeats on return to second-tier while QPR, Swansea and Charlton win

THE Championship season roared into life on Friday night as Luton and Middlesbrough played out a stunning 3-3 draw at Kenilworth Road.

And there were NINE more matches on Saturday to sink your teeth into, with newly-relegated Fulham and Cardiff in action.

Check out the results from all nine, below...

BARNSLEY 1-0 FULHAM

Luke Thomas struck early as the Cottagers' return to the Championship got off to an awful start.

Fulham dominated the ball but failed to make their chances pay, hitting the target with just four of their 14 shots.

BLACKBURN 1-2 CHARLTON

THE Addicks were forced to fight hard for a crucial away win to start their season - thanks to goals from Ben Purrington and Lyle Taylor.

A Dillon Phillips had earlier seen Blackburn level at one-apiece before Taylor's 77th-minute winner.

BRENTFORD 0-1 BIRMINGHAM

AN early Kristian Pedersen saw Birmingham to a key win on the opening Saturday of the season.

Pedersen found the net in the 17th minute with the Blues' only shot of the match, as they clung on to a vital three points.

MILLWALL 1-0 PRESTON

JED WALLACE scored the only goal of the game as the Lions got off to a solid start to the season.

Millwall had just 36 per cent of the ball, but were able to take their chances when it counted, with Preston failing to hit the target once.

READING 1-3 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY

DESPITE going down to ten men thanks to Keiran Westwood's red-card, the Owls bagged a huge three points at the Madejski.

Kadeem Harris, Sam Hutchinson and Lucas Joao all scored as Yakou Meite's strike for Reading - to level the game - proved to be for nought.

STOKE 1-2 QPR

JORDAN HUGILL celebrated his debut with an eighth-minute goal as QPR secured a big win on the opening day of the season.

Eberechi Eze gave the visitors a 2-0 lead before Sam Clucas set up a nervous final ten minutes when he halved the deficit, ultimately to no avail.

SWANSEA 2-1 HULL

THE Welsh side bounced back from shipping a third-minute goal, scored by Kamil Grosicki, to secure a day one win.

Borja Baston and Mike van der Hoorn both scored early in the second-half to secure all three points at home.

WIGAN 3-2 CARDIFF

WIGAN edged a five-goal thriller at home, despite trailing thanks to a Joe Ralls goal in the 20th minute.

Josh Windass missed a penalty early in the second half, before he - along with Michael Jacobs and Lee Evans - scored in the win, with Omar Bogle scoring for the visitors as the game was levelled at 2-2 with 20 minutes to play.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST vs WEST BROM (5.30pm)

Report to follow later...