Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Ipswich Town 0
Several key elements go to make for any successful Wolverhampton Wanderers manager, of which popularity and luck are perhaps the two most important.
And on the night Mick McCarthy was welcomed to Molineux, accorded the sort of reception which simply never came the way of his predecessor, the new Wolves boss scored high on both.
Jay Bothroyd's classy first-half strike proved enough to win the points but McCarthy knew that, had it not been for a missed penalty and a wrongly disallowed goal, it might have been his counterpart, Jim Magilton, celebrating his first win in charge.
But, after when Wolves' task was made all the harder by Carl Cort's senseless first-half sending off, McCarthy made it quite clear that he already stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Wolves fans.
"They've suffered the highs and lows, just like I have," he said. "We're playing well, we score a goal, we're all elated, then somebody gets sent off and we all feel lousy.
"We give a penalty away and we're all going to throw ourselves under a bus, then the keeper saves it and we all feel great. And when we come out after half-time, we're all worried sick we might concede.
"I'm no different to how they were all feeling but the important thing was that we got the three points."
McCarthy was able to show just how much of a new broom has swept through Molineux by putting out a starting XI that was entirely different to the one which started last season's final home game under Glenn Hoddle.
Five players made their home debut - youth product Kevin O'Connor, along with recent signings Gary Breen, Karl Henry, Jamie Clapham and Bothroyd. Four more - captain Jody Craddock, Lee Naylor, Mark Clyde and keeper Matt Murray - are all fit again after last season's various injuries and Rohan Ricketts and Cort were simply back in favour.
With half a new team of outfield players, the odds were short on Wolves' first home goal of the season being scored by a home debutant - but there wouldn't have been many bets on it being of such quality.
When Cort, travelling near the right flank, slipped the ball inside to Bothroyd, there didn't seem much cause for alarm. Certainly, the Tractor Boys didn't think so.
They collectively showed all the speed and alertness of a combine harvester in allowing Bothroyd to control and take aim. They were still backing off him when the much-travelled striker's low left-foot shot surprised them by fizzing just inside exposed Ipswich goal-keeper Shane Supple's left-hand upright.
If that was just the sort of inspirational moment McCarthy wanted from his twin strikers, eight minutes later, Cort achieved the exact opposite. What possessed him to raise his arms and shove Gavin Williams was hard to fathom but it came right under referee Mr Kettle's nose.
Wityh his team down to ten men, Bothroyd wasted a chance to double the lead, doing the hard part by cutting back inside his only serious pursuer to flat-foot Richard Naylor, only to shoot tamely at Supple.
It then should have been 1-1 when Craddock's clumsy challenge on Nicky Forster was punished by a penalty.
But Murray came to his side's rescue to save Matt Richards' kick and it was with the help of a linesman that Wolves survived the next close shave just after the break. Williams' well-struck shot was deflected onto the post, only for the rebound to fall into the path of Dean Bowditch, who stuck the loose ball away. But up went the linesman's flag and a Molineux crowd who had arrived looking all pensive and forlorn departed into the night a whole lot happier.
