“Diamond may be a rough diamond but he can go a long way.” Calderwood described Aberdeen as a “sleeping giant” in his programme notes and there is little doubt that his infectious enthusiasm has rubbed off on the local public in his short time in the north-east since leaving Dunfermline Athletic just days after leading them to the Scottish Cup final in May.Pittodrie was almost full for the first time in nine years and the raucous backing given by the home fans provided a fitting backdrop to a contest that was always volatile. The heir to McLeish’s No 5 shirt, teenager Zander Diamond, shone as he defied Ran-gers in a frantic second-half.Spilling points early is a luxury Rangers cannot afford after finishing 17 points behind Celtic last season. “We can’t drop many if we want to be champions,” McLeish said. The Rangers manager’s attempt to restore his team’s title ambitions foundered on the first day of the Scottish Premier League season, as Pittodrie rediscovered the passion it knew when McLeish played here. Alex McLeish saw the clock turned back yesterday, but not in the way he wanted. The home side struggled early on, but a goal just before the interval from the midfielder Burton O’Brien settled their nerves, and after the break goals by Craig Easton, on his debut, and Stuart Lovell secured the first three points of the season.. Izale McLeod, signed in the summer from Derby, came to the rescue for the Dons with a headed equaliser in the 76th minute.Bradford City went ahead at Hartlepool United but conceded two late goals to lose 2-1.In Scotland, Inverness opened their first season in the Premier League with a 3-0 defeat at Livingston.

Daryl Taylor, a young winger, secured the points with Walsall’s third with four minutes left, and Vale’s last-minute goal through Lee Matthews was mere consolation.MK Dons’ first outing under their new name resulted in a 1-1 draw at home against Barnsley, who took the lead through Paul Reid midway through the first half. They took charge after the referee, Lee Probert, had reduced it to a 10-a-side contest for the final 23 minutes. Matt Fryatt gave Walsall the lead with a penalty after 12 minutes and they held on until just after the hour-mark, when Billy Paynter equalised but was then sent off for collecting his second yellow card.Ian Roper soon followed him off to even up the numbers, and Walsall went ahead again with eight minutes remaining through Leroy Williams, who has emerged from the club’s youth system. He was struck on the arm by Ashton’s shot after following up a parried header.Cardiff equalised when Graham Kavanagh’s long-range effort found its way to John Robinson, who fired the ball home. If that was messy, there was no questioning the quality of the goal with which Alan Lee put Cardiff ahead after nearly an hour. Collecting the ball 35 yards out, Lee advanced before thumping a 25-yard shot past Martyn Margetson. That goal came courtesy of Cardiff’s new signing Robert Page, who moved from Sheffield United during the summer.

Beating a side tipped to struggle against relegation may not be an indication of promotion potential, but it is a start.
David Healy earned the points with a penalty 13 minutes from time after a foul by Devlin, but it took a brilliant save by Preston’s Andy Lonergan from Neil Cox’s penalty to preserve the points.Devlin had given Watford hope of a point when he equalised early in the second half after Preston led through Richard Cresswell.Crewe Alexandra, who like Watford spent much of last season fighting off the threat of relegation, needed an equaliser five minutes from time to earn a 2-2 draw at home to Cardiff City.Michael Higdon, the 20-year-old midfielder, volleyed home after being set up by Dean Ashton, who had put Crewe ahead after five minutes from the penalty spot. Craig Brown was coming under pressure as Preston North End’s manager as the new Football League Championship season approached, but his side made a good beginning with a 2-1 home win over Watford. Coyne had it covered but the slightest flick by Gray took it past him.Now Burnley looked decidedly insecure. Moore’s boot, under the crossbar, denied Phil Jagielka a second United goal in a pinball-machine scramble in the Burnley box.By the end, Burnley were struggling to keep a point, and luck was with them in the dying moments, as centre-half Morgan flashed the ball wide of a gaping goal and Ward, on for a tiring Barry Hayles, managed to hit the woodwork from barely two yards as he attempted to convert a cross from Jonathan Forte.. Still, Burnley dealt with their best attempts to find a first-half equaliser, although Coyne denied Harley, stretching to his left to push a firm strike around his left-hand post.But Warnock’s side stepped up their work rate in the second half, forcing Burnley on to the back foot, at which point Blake became an even more isolated figure United squared things up seven minutes after half-time. Bromby’s long throw from the right was met with power by the head of Morgan.