Bolton Wanderers 4 Wigan Athletic 1:The benevolence of Dave Whelan stretched to €4 million when the Wigan Athletic chairman paid a record compensation fee to secure Steve Bruce's release from Birmingham City. The generosity of Wigan's defenders, however, may burn a much greater hole in the club accounts come next summer.

Two games into his second tenure as Wigan manager, Bruce is under no illusions about the formidable task ahead in the remaining 22 league matches. Hired at such cost as Chris Hutchings' replacement to preserve the club's Premier League status, his efforts are being undermined by the calamitous defending which will require further extravagance in the transfer market next month to repair.

First to mess up was Paul Scharner, the Wigan midfielder who earned a public rebuke from his new manager for describing him as a long-ball merchant. Early into their second date, the relationship was in need of counselling.

There was not a white shirt in sight when El Hadji Diouf crossed into the six-yard area, but - with Chris Kirkland poised for a comfortable catch - Scharner steered a diving header into his own net.

Next it was the turn of Bolton's Abdoulaye Meite to dismantle the fine art of defending when he backheeled an Emmerson Boyce cross out of his penalty area and provided Denny Landzaat with a gilded invitation to equalise from 18 yards.

Then Jason Koumas overran the ball. Nicky Hunt fed Anelka inside the area, his shot deflected to Kevin Nolan and with a flick of the instep Bolton were back in front.

The visitors dominated the opening 20 minutes of the second half only for slack marking by Granqvist to allow Kevin Davies to slide home another Diouf delivery.

For the finishing touch, Ivan Campo produced a wonderful 80- yard pass which Davies and Nolan turned into a tap-in for Anelka.