Wigan Athletic started their new campaign with victory at promoted Cheltenham Town, much to the delight of manager Paul Jewell.
The Latics boss said: "It's nice to keep a clean sheet and score two goals away from home against a club that's been on a high for the last couple of years.
"We have got the effort, the work rate and the spirit and we could have scored seven or eight goals.
"Champions and promotions are all about winning nitty-gritty games. So much has been promised over the past few years and we haven't delivered.
"I'm not making any promises but it would be nice at the end of the season to reward the fans with something."
Jewell had to wait just six minutes before his side took the lead through last season's leading marksman Andy Liddell.
The 29-year-old Scot collected a left-wing cross from strike partner Nathan Ellington before forcing his shot over the line despite the efforts of home keeper Steve Book.
Three minutes later Liddell went close when he won the ball in midfield, charged goalwards but fired wide from the edge of the box.
It took the home side 19 minutes to launch their first attack on goal, a powerful run down the right by Lancastrian Neil Howarth which took him past his marker but his shot was scarmbled away by keeper John Filan.
With 22 minutes gone Ellington went close to doubling the advantage but was denied by an excellent save from Book, who tipped the striker's volley onto the bar.
But the Latics went 2-0 up with their next attack. Gary Teale's corner was cleared as far as Matt Jackson and the former Everton defender whipped in a glorious cross for Lee McCulloch to power a header into the roof of the net.
By now Wigan had taken control and were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty on the half hour when the lively Ellington appeared to have been tripped inside the box by Cheltenham defender Michael Duff.
Dangerman Liddell hit the crossbar late in the half after pouncing on a weak Jamie Victory back-header and McCulloch saw his header creep just past an upright early in the second period.
In the closing stages the home side stepped up a gear and were unlucky not to score after 64 minutes when Tony Naylor collected the ball on the edge of the area and thundered a shot which cannoned off the bar.
Cheltenham replaced leading scorer Julian Alsopp with new siging Damian Spencer for the final five minutes but there remained no way through the solid Latics defence supremely marshalled by Jackson.
By David Lawrence from the Sunday Pink.