Football League: Five things you may have missed

Joey Barton was playing his first game since May

An unexpected hero, some debut joy, a familiar face gets back on the field, a returning foe and a club legend starts once more.

It has been an eventful day in the Football League, so BBC Sport brings you five stories from Saturday's fixtures.

Stockley steps up

It was an eventful afternoon for Portsmouth's on-loan striker Jayden Stockley. He was meant to start Saturday's game at Bristol Rovers on the substitutes' bench before Adam McGurk was injured in the warm-up and the 21-year-old was handed a starting spot.

With 70 minutes gone, and Pompey level at 1-1, Stockley was due to come off after a workmanlike performance. But the switch was delayed and a minute later he scored the winner, sending Portsmouth top of League Two.

Paul Cook's side are still unbeaten in the league as their promotion charge continues to gather pace.

"It's great to be where we are after nine games, but football has a habit of kicking you in the teeth," Cook told BBC Radio Solent. "It's better than being bottom.

"Adam McGurk did his ankle in the warm-up, that is part and parcel of the game. It was a great goal, great finish, great passing and great movement.

"We were taking Jayden off, he had worked tirelessly and I felt at that stage Matt Tubbs' movement might have got us a goal."

Blackwood's big day

They had not won since April but at last the Football League's bottom side have a first victory of the new season.

Tyler Blackwood, 24, came off the bench to fire Newport County to their first three points of 2015-16. Terry Butcher's side remain bottom of League Two but at least he also has his first win as County boss.

The goal marked a double celebration for on-loan QPR striker Blackwood, as he was making his league debut.

Barton is back

It was a disappointing debut for Joey Barton, who came off the bench to play his first game in Burnley colours. His new side were beaten 2-1 by Reading, who climbed up to third in the Championship.

Burnley slipped to sixth after their second league defeat of the season and manager Sean Dyche bemoaned their poor start to the game.

"It's unusual for us to start so sloppy really," he said. "They scored the first from us crossing the ball and a breakaway and a bit of a mix-up really so it's a mistake from us, and the second one was good play from them."

Clarke haunts former side

Leon Clarke (centre) joined Bury in the summer after being released by Wolves

With some notable exceptions, players really enjoy getting one over their former side and Leon Clarke did exactly that with two goals for Bury as they defeated Coventry 2-1.

Clarke made 44 appearances for the Sky Blues over two spells before leaving in acrimonious circumstances - handing in a transfer request before moving to Wolves.

His twin strikes on Saturday saw Bury move up to fifth in League One.

Shakers manager David Flitcroft paid tribute to his side after the victory, telling BBC Radio Manchester: "We're doing something at this football club that's creating a new future and that's what I've seen today.

"Winning football matches is something that takes a hell of a lot of work."

Zamora rolls back the years

Brighton may have been denied victory by Gary Madine's injury-time header for Bolton, but their early-season form shows no sign of letting up.

Chris Hughton's men are one of two unbeaten sides in the Football League and the match was also notable for Bobby Zamora's name appearing in the starting line-up - 12 years after his last outing for the Seagulls.

Zamora scored in his last start for Brighton and he teed Dale Stephens up for Brighton's opener on Saturday.

"He did well," Hughton told BBC Sussex. "We knew we wouldn't get 90 minutes from him but he will benefit from that and will get better and better.

"It's a good start for him and we need to make sure we look after him. It's a real good option to have Bobby available."