Ross Stewart ensured Tony Mowbray’s reign as Sunderland manager started with a bang as his double secured Sky Bet Championship victory over Rotherham.
A day after the former Middlesbrough and Blackburn manager had been announced as Alex Neil’s replacement at the Stadium of Light, the Scotland international struck twice after the break as his side surged to a 3-0 win.
Stewart’s fourth goal of the season gave the home side a 52nd-minute lead as they attempted to bounce back from Saturday’s 1-0 defeat by Norwich on Wearside, and he helped himself to another 13 minutes later with Jack Clarke providing the assist for the second time in the game.
He then returned the favour to allow Clarke to wrap up the points with 20 minutes remaining.
Former Black Cats head coach Neil needed a late equaliser from substitute Tyrese Campbell to prevent his first game as Stoke manager ending in defeat.
Campbell struck in stoppage time to cancel out Joel Piroe’s sixth-minute opener to rescue the Scot’s big night.
Bristol City strike Antoine Semenyo scored from the bench for the third successive game to cement a 2-0 victory over struggling Huddersfield.
Nahki Wells had put the Robins ahead against his former club 10 minutes before the break, and Semenyo struck with 10 minutes remaining to kill off any hope of a fightback.
Emil Riis also announced himself in style to fire Preston to a much-needed 1-0 win at Coventry.
Substitute Riis’ 73rd-minute strike – just the club’s second league goal of the campaign to date – extended their unbeaten started to the campaign and left City still awaiting their first three-point haul.
Chile international Ben Brereton Diaz scored early to hand Blackburn the points at Blackpool.
Brereton Diaz fired home from Bradley Dack’s through-ball after 16 minutes to end a run of three straight league defeats.