Bruce delivers Wigan warning

IT has not taken long for Steve Bruce’s honeymoon at Wigan to come to a shuddering halt.

The new Latics manager has ordered his side to cut out the basic errors if they are to stand any chance of staying in the Premier League following this dreadful drubbing at fellow strugglers Bolton.

After a calamitous error by Titus Bramble gifted Manchester City a 28-second opener in Bruce’s first game in charge last weekend, it was the turn of Paul Scharner to hand Bolton a perfect start at the Reebok Stadium yesterday.

With no home player attacking the ball, Scharner inexplicably headed El-Hadji Diouf’s cross into an empty net as goalkeeper Chris Kirkland was coming out to collect.

It left the Latics facing another uphill fight and, while Denny Landzaat equalised, Bolton regained the initiative through Kevin Nolan’s impudent back-heeled flick before Kevin Davies and Nicolas Anelka completed a 4-1 win.

Anelka could afford to miss a penalty and Bolton were still able to record their biggest win of the season.

“You cannot play in this league and make individual errors like that,” said Bruce. “We made an unbelievable one last week and have done the same again today. You have to give yourself a chance and these mistakes are costing us badly.”

The defeat, coupled with Middlesbrough’s surprise win over Arsenal and Tottenham’s victory over Manchester City, means Wigan are now four points adrift of safety, with their top flight status in peril,

After suffering a heavy defeat at Liverpool last weekend, victory was important for Bolton, who are slowly beginning to clamber their way out of trouble.

Typically, Nolan is leading from the front, putting early-season trauma, which at one stage saw the highly-rated midfielder axed by former manager Sammy Lee, well and truly behind him.

It was Nolan’s quick thinking which allowed him to convert when Anelka’s shot squirmed across goal after being blocked by Andreas Granqvist.

BOLTON: Jaaskelainen 7, Hunt 6, Meite 6, A O’Brien 6, Gardner 6, Nolan 9 (Giannakopoulos 90, 5), Campo 7 (Speed 90, 5), Guthrie 7, Davies 7, Anelka 6, Diouf 7 (McCann 77, 5).

Subs Not Used: Al Habsi, Michalik. Booked: Andrew O’Brien, Guthrie.

WIGAN: Kirkland 6, Boyce 6, Granqvist 4, Bramble 6, Kilbane 5, Valencia 5, Scharner 4, Landzaat 6, Koumas 6, Bent 6, Heskey 6 (Brown 72, 5).

Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Taylor, Skoko, Cotterill.

REFEREE: Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire) 7: Little choice with the penalty decision, and generally an assured afternoon.

MATCH RATING: *** Bolton enjoyed themselves immensely: Wigan, meanwhile, were woeful.