Bolton beat Preston 2-1 at Toughsheet Community Stadium in Championship return on 15 August 2026

Bolton beat Preston 2-1 at the Toughsheet Community Stadium on 15 August 2026 as they returned to the Championship, with Sam Dalby and Thierry Gale scoring in the first half and Jusef Erabi reducing the deficit late on.

Dalby and Gale struck before half-time to give Bolton their first Championship win since March 2019 after last season’s League One playoff final winners were widely predicted to struggle on their return to the second tier. In front of a sellout crowd of 26,262, Steven Schumacher’s side dominated Preston, who are longstanding members of the division. John McAtee’s involvement featured prominently in Bolton’s build-up play across the match.

Dalby opened the scoring after Daniel Iversen’s weak save from McAtee’s left-foot shot fell to the forward, who side-footed home from 18 yards; Dalby had scored 14 times last season in all competitions. McAtee, who the report notes “did not have the best of times in League One last season but he quickly embraced this step up in class,” was central to the move that created the opener. The early goal set the tone as Bolton began brightly.

Eleven minutes after the opener Gale doubled Bolton’s lead when McAtee’s pass found him and he cut in from the left before curling a right-foot shot beyond Iversen. Dalby appeared to head in a third for Bolton after 37 minutes, but the goal was disallowed when McAtee was adjudged to have fouled while challenging for the assist. Bolton were described as dominating opponents playing in the Championship for a 12th successive season.

Preston made multiple changes just after the hour, bringing on Léo Leroy, Odel Offiah and Erabi for Pol Valentín, Jordan Thompson and Callum Lang in front of around 4,400 travelling fans. Dalby missed a gilt-edged chance with only Iversen to beat in the 73rd minute when his left-foot effort was saved, and Erabi made him pay by heading in Andrija Vukcevic’s cross four minutes from time. Liam Lindsay then missed a late headed opportunity from close range that would have levelled the game.

In League One, substitute Gideon Kodua scrambled a stoppage-time winner as Luton came from behind to beat Reading 4-3; Luton had taken an early lead through Jake Richards before Jack Marriott scored in the eighth, 31st and 38th minutes to complete a first-half hat-trick. Kasey Palmer scored twice after the interval to make it 3-3, and Kodua netted in the sixth minute of added time to secure the victory for the Hatters.

Conor Grant’s late strike earned Notts County a 1-1 draw with Leicester at Meadow Lane after Jayden Joseph had fired Russell Martin’s men in front just past the hour; Grant slid home from close range after Emile Acquah’s header had rebounded off a post. In League Two, Rochdale were beaten 3-0 at Newport County and Calum Kavanagh’s double gave Oldham a 2-0 win over Port Vale.

There are six 3pm BST kick-offs, including Lincoln’s return to the second tier after 65 years away with their first game a trip to Middlesbrough, and at 5.30pm Sheffield United host Birmingham. This story will be updated.