Newport County enjoyed a fairytale Football League return with an emphatic 4-1 win over Accrington Stanley to go top of League Two.
A goal in each half from Chris Zebroski on his Newport debut and further strikes from Harry Worley and Christian Jolley put the Welsh side, promoted via the Conference play-off final last term, four goals to the good after 55 minutes on Saturday.
Former Manchester United trainee Danny Webber pulled one back for Stanley, but Justin Edinburgh s side were not to be denied a memorable home victory on the opening day of the 2013-14 season.
While Newport celebrated a fantastic start to life in the fourth tier of English football, another new addition to League Two in the form of Portsmouth were handed a stark reminder of just how far they have fallen after slipping to a 4-1 defeat at home against Oxford United.
Patrick Agyemang gave the 2008 FA Cup winners a 25th-minute lead before a brace apiece from Deane Smalley and Alfie Potter stunned the majority of the crowd of over 18,000 that packed Fratton Park.
Rochdale were another team to record a comfortable opening-day win thanks to a 3-0 success over Hartlepool United. Scott Hogan, George Donnelly and Ian Henderson all netted at Spotland.
Burton Albion battled back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 at Cheltenham Town, with both sides looking to put the disappointment of losing in the play-offs last term behind them. Jamie Cureton and Byron Harrison were on target for the home side inside the opening 32 minutes, but Burton hit back through Billy Kee and debutant Rory Delap.
Two goals in 17 second-half minutes from James O’Shea and Marc Richards proved the difference as Chesterfield beat Bury 2-0 at Gigg Lane, while last season’s Conference champions Mansfield Town lost 2-0 at Scunthorpe United, for whom Matthew Sparrow and Sam Winnall were on target.
Phil Brown’s Southend United side started the new campaign with a 1-0 win over Plymouth Argyle sealed courtesy of Barry Corr’s 15th-minute goal.
There was late drama at Plainmoor as Aaron Downes rescued a point for home side Torquay United in the 90th minute after Harry Pell had scored for AFC Wimbledon with three minutes remaining.
A last-gasp Ryan Jarvis goal condemned Northampton Town, defeated play-off finalists back in May, to a 1-0 defeat at York City and Wycombe Wanderers triumphed at home against Morecambe by the same scoreline, Paris Cowan-Hill netting seven minutes into his debut.
Mark Roberts, Jeff Hughes and Ryan Cresswell were on the scoresheet in Fleetwood Town’s 3-1 win over Dagenham Redbridge, who pulled one back through Rhys Murphy.
Sam Parkin marked his Exeter City debut with the winner 11 minutes from time to help his side run out 2-1 victors over Bristol Rovers after Eliot Richards had cancelled out Danny Coles’ opener.
