Northern Ireland international Isaac Price scored twice as West Bromwich Albion made it two league wins out of two with an impressive 3-1 comeback victory over Burnley at the Hawthorns at the weekend.
An eighth-minute own goal by Callum Styles gave the visitors an early lead, but West Brom equalised ten minutes later through 20-year-old Harry Whitwell.
Just a minute after the half-time interval, Price grabbed his first of the afternoon with a curled right-footed shot from 20 yards and midway through the half he doubled his tally with a coolly converted penalty.
Speaking to the club’s website after the game, Price, who picked up the Man of the Match award for his performance, said: “Sometimes the easier chances are overcomplicated. I had a few in the first half where I should have done better; they’re the ones I need to score.
“The one I curled round the keeper is a natural shot that I practice every day in training, and I think it is just down to repetition. Don’t get me wrong, there are loads of times it doesn’t work, but when it does, it looks good!”
Also in the Championship, Ethan Galbraith opened his account for Stoke City, who lost for the second week running following their 3-1 reverse at Southampton, while Jordan Thompson came off the bench to score a late consolation for Preston North End, who lost 3-1 at home to Wolves.
Tom Atcheson was named Player of the Match as Blackburn came from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at Ewood Park. The defender produced a composed display at the back to help Rovers secure all three points, underlining his growing influence at senior level.
In League One, Callum Marshall scored his first goal for Luton Town since his summer move from West Ham United, securing a point for the Hatters in a 2-2 home draw against Notts County.
Former Portadown and Larne striker Lee Bonis scored his first of the campaign as League Two Chesterfield battled to a narrow 1-0 victory at Salford City.
It was the opening weekend of the Premier League season, and it was a particularly sweet one for 31-year-old Paddy McNair, who was used as a second-half substitute in Hull City’s surprise 2-0 win at home to his former club Manchester United.
There was disappointment though for Sunderland’s Trai Hume and Daniel Ballard, who both started in their side’s 2-1 opening-day defeat to newly promoted Ipswich Town, courtesy of a last-minute goal.
In the second week of the Scottish Women’s Premier League, Enniskillen-born Casey Howe netted her first goal for Celtic off a Fi Morgan assist, as the Glasgow outfit defeated Montrose 3-0 to make it two wins out of two.
Domestically, Louise McDaniel was on the scoresheet for Cliftonville Ladies who progressed to the last four of the Irish FA Women’s Challenge Cup with a 3-0 win over Derry City, while Cora Chambers scored her 25th goal of the season, though it proved to be a mere consolation as Linfield fell to a 2-1 defeat at Big Two rivals Glentoran.
In Premier League 2, Jack Patterson helped Everton to a point in their opening game of the competition in their derby clash with Liverpool which ended 1-1.
Meanwhile, in the U18 Premier League, Joel Kerr was on target from the penalty spot as West Ham defeated Reading 5-2 and former Cliftonville player Eamon Tohill scored a brace for Middlesbrough in their 2-2 at Liverpool.
