Johan Elmander was his inspiration for the team

BOLTON WANDERERS 4
- Elmander 10,
- Davies, K (pen) 48,
- Muamba 53,
- Taylor 69

WIGAN ATHLETIC 0

**Bolton Wanderers cruised to a 4-0 victory against fellow relegation candidates Wigan Athletic at the Reebok Stadium.

Bolton were dominant throughout but went in at half time with a slender one goal advantage thanks to Johan Elmander's smart 10th minute finish.

But the game was effectively over as a contest two minutes into the second half when Mike Dean adjudged Gary Caldwell to have felled Tamir Cohen in the box. Bolton captain Kevin Davies drove the resulting penalty past Chris Kirkland from 12 yards.

The home side were brimming with confidence and that confidence was personified by the third from holding midfielder Fabrice Muamba. He burst forward before turning Caldwell inside out and firing past a the Kirkland.

Bolton's fourth was symptomatic of an awful afternoon for the Latics and Caldwell in particular. The former Celtic man made a hash of a routine clearance from a Elmander flick-on and Matt Taylor - having just replaced the impressive Jack Wilshere - slotted past Kirkland from just inside the penalty area.

The sides came into this relegation six pointer on the back of two very different results, Bolton were handsomely thumped 4-0 by Sunderland a day after the visitors had overcome Liverpool.

It was, in fact, the Trotters who began with intent and more than deserved their early lead.

The Latics looked suspect from high balls all afternoon and the home side were unlucky not to double their advantage midway through the first half.

Davies got the slightest of connections to a Lee Chung-Yong corner that Kirkland could only palm into the path of Andy O'Brien but with the visitors' defence in chaos and the centre back about to dispatch the rebound Gary Caldwell stretched out a leg to clear for a corner.

Wigan - despite that victory on Monday night - looked a side short on confidence and ideas. And it took until the 43rd minute for the Latics to manage a first sight of goal.

Although Charles N'Zogbia could not quite get the desired connection on a Paul Scharner knock-down, it did require a solid save from Jussi Jaaskelainen to ensure the home side went in at the interval with a slender lead.

Despite those quick fire second half goals, Wigan continued to toil but their forward play lacked any conviction or creativity and their horrible run on the road continues where they have now only won one in ten.

Bolton, in contrast, looked a different side from the team comfortably beaten by Sunderland during the week. They passed the ball well and were clinical in front of goal.

The introduction of Ivan Klasnic added impetus to their attack as the game drew to a close. First he flashed an overhead kick over before coming inches away from fellow substitute Vladimir Weiss' centre in the final minute.

The win moves the Trotters up to thirteenth place in the league but the Latics are firmly embroiled in a relegation dogfight.
Marcus Foley / Eurosport

Line-ups:

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Andrew O'Brien, Knight, Robinson, Lee, Muamba, Cohen, Wilshere, Kevin Davies, Elmander. Subs: Al Habsi, Taylor, Riga, Gardner, Klasnic, Shittu, Weiss.

Wigan: Kirkland, Boyce, Caldwell, Bramble, Figueroa, Scharner, N'Zogbia, Diame, Moses, McCarthy, Rodallega. Subs: Stojkovic, Amaya, Thomas, Scotland, Gomez, Sinclair, Moreno.

Source: uk.eurosport.com