Thierry Gale scored a stunning breakaway goal as Bolton celebrated their return to the Championship after a seven-year absence with a stylish victory over a lacklustre Preston North End.

Last season's League One play-off winners showed greater tempo and cohesion from the outset and Sam Dalby steered them ahead on the rebound after 15 minutes.

Gale made it a 2-0 interval lead, curling the ball home from John McAtee's pass as the hosts broke forward following a Preston throw-in.

Preston's Jusef Erabi did set home nerves jangling with five minutes left when he headed home from close range and Liam Lindsay missed a glorious chance to earn a point in the fourth of four minutes of injury-time, but somehow headed over.

Wanderers were able to see out the final seconds to secure a first win in seven league games against Preston, who have not won their opening game of a league season since a 1-0 success against QPR in 2018-19.

A draw would have been incredibly harsh on a Bolton side who looked fresh and composed and particularly dangerous on the break through Gale, Dalby and the excellent McAtee.

McAtee's cross shot forced the first goal when keeper Daniel Iversen's weak parry fell straight to Dalby and was beautifully guided into the net.

New signings Akin Famewo, Luca Stephenson and Gaizka Larrazabal all made steady debuts while the visitors barely had a look in.

North End were second best for the vast majority of an entertaining opening-day match, lacking any sort of goal threat until a triple substitution injected some life and urgency into the visitors, with Odeluga Offiah, Leo Leroy and Erabi.

Milutin Osmajic instantly went close and then missed a glorious chance to reduce the deficit when he raced through on goal and chose to pass rather take responsibility.

Erabi's powerful header, which went in via the underside of the bar, was the start of some sustained pressure but they could not forced a leveller despite creating two excellent opportunities.

Both fell to Lindsay, who headed wide with the first opening and then somehow nodded the ball over from point-blank range.

Bolton Wanderers head coach Steven Schumacher told BBC Radio Manchester:

"That's what this division is like, it's mental. From being in complete control of the game [we] probably should be further ahead than what we were.

"We are happy that they miss a sitter at the end to not take our three points away from us, which I felt on the whole we probably deserved. The Championship is going to be an exciting ride so strap in.

"We knew this was a big occasion for us today. The first game back at this level for such a long time. We're then playing against a local rival so there was so much riding on it and we prepared and we were ready to try to be positive."

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"I said at half-time to the players I thought we could win the game. We were poor first-half in terms of the goals that we gave away. Whether it was the first game or not but they were certainly not the goals that we want to give away.

"We gave ourselves a real mountain to climb and it was as simple as their enthusiasm, their energy about being in this league and the crowd - it seemed to catch us cold.

"One or two [players] won't play like that again. We need to be better but there were also some good moments and I'm pleased with some of the new boys."