Ipswich Town 1-0 Birmingham City
- Published
Joe Garner left Rangers one year into a three-year deal, having scored 10 goals in 37 appearances for the club last season
Joe Garner marked his return to English football by scoring the winner for Ipswich Town against Birmingham City.
Blues were the more threatening side before the break, with Che Adams and Clayton Donaldson both going close.
Ipswich suffered a first-half blow, with Andre Dozzell leaving the field on a stretcher with a knee injury.
Town returned from the interval buoyant and Garner met a Jonas Knudsen cross to slide home, while Freddie Sears failed to add a second from close range.
Ipswich goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski made a series of saves either side of the break to ensure Ipswich, a side that lost their final pre-season match 6-1 to League One side Charlton a week earlier, claimed all three points in their Championship opener against Harry Redknapp's Blues.
Marc Roberts, one of thee summer arrivals to start for Blues, and Emilio Nsue were among those to be denied by the home goalkeeper.
Eighteen-year-old midfielder Dozzell, who helped England win the Under-19 European Championship title last month, looked bright for the hosts and played with poise, but needed treatment once before eventually being forced off in first-half injury time.
While it made for a miserable end to the first half, Garner ensured the second started positively, scoring his first goal in the Championship since April 2016, in what was his last full campaign in England's second-tier before leaving Preston for one season in the Scottish Premiership with Rangers.
Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy:
"For me it was vital we won and played well. I've had lovely support but there would have been an element waiting for me and I wouldn't blame them because we were rubbish last year.
"Somebody asked me about my ambition and that is to build a team and win games.
"I've had lovely support from everybody at the club and the fans. They turned up and it humbles me. It was nice to repay it with a good performance and a win."