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File photo of Troy Parrott in action for Ireland. PA

Parrott makes MK Dons bow in thrilling Bolton draw, injury woes strike again for Callum O'Dowda

We round up the headline Irish involvement as the EFL seasons got underway.

TROY PARROTT MADE his competitive debut for MK Dons in a thrilling, 3-3 League One draw away to Bolton Wanderers this afternoon. 

Parrott played 80 minutes of a high-scoring draw, and had an effort cleared off the line in the first half, just before Bolton equalised for the first time. They did so again in the 95th minute through Alex Baptiste to secure a point. 

Elsewhere, 39-year-old Wes Hoolahan played all 90 minutes of Cambridge’s 1-1 draw with Oxford on the day of their return to League One.

In the sam division, a minor injury issue kept Gavin Bazunu on the bench for Portsmouth’s 1-0 win over Fleetwood, Daryl Horgan created both goals of Wycombe’s 2-1 win over Accrington, and Aiden McGeady’s penalty helped to earn Sunderland a 2-1 victory at home to Wigan. 

In the Championship, Callum O’Dowda’s injury issues have persisted into the new Championship season, as he was withdrawn just 13 minutes into Bristol City’s 

The Irish winger was making just his fourth appearance of an injury-bedevilled 2021, but was replaced by Kasey Palmer in the opening quarter of their 1-1 draw with Blackpool. 

Elsewhere, Mick McCarthy’s Cardiff opened the season with a 1-1 draw with Barnsley, while Irish U21 international Festy Ebosele came off the bench in Derby’s 1-1 draw with Huddersfield, for whom Danny Grant missed out as he recovers from Covid-19. 

James McClean’s Stoke future remains in doubt: he wasn’t involved in the matchday squad in what proved to be a thrilling 3-2 victory over Reading. 

Alan Browne and Greg Cunningham endeared a nightmare start to the season with Preston, as their side took the lead and then folded to a 4-1 defeat at home to newly-promoted Hull City. 

New signing Jimmy Dunne was an unused substitute for QPR’s 1-1 draw at home to Millwall, while Sammie Szmodics was part of a Peterborough side that endured a rough return to the Championship, beaten 3-0 by Luton. 

Darragh Lenihan, meanwhile, captained Blackburn to a 2-1 win at home to Swansea. 

Championship results 

Blackburn 2-1 Swansea 

Bristol City 1-1 Blackpool 

Cardiff 1-1 Barnsley 

Derby 1-1 Huddersfield 

Luton 3-0 Peterborough 

Preston 1-4 Hull City 

QPR 1-1 Millwall 

Stoke 3-2 Reading 

 

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