THE manager of the month curse struck Gary Megson as Bolton failed to win a record fourth successive Premier League away win.

Megson, unveilled as November's top boss last Friday, watched his team's collapse after Johan Elmander shot Wanderers in front. Gabriel Agbonlahor (two) a Kevin Davies own goal and Ashley Young's strike did the damage, with Davies getting a late consolation for the Trotters.

Bolton boss Gary Megson was unhappy with his side’s performance and, in particular, their level of defending.

He said: “We scored first, missed a great chance to make it 2-0, but if you concede four and play like we did then you are going to have problems.

“They finished their chances, we didn’t, but we didn’t play well enough today. We went into the game with one of the best defensive records in the Premier League but some of the goals we conceded were remarkably poor.

“It was a bad day at the office but we have now got to pick ourselves up for the next game as quickly as possible.”

Elmander's neat finish from a Davies cross was his fifth goal since a record £10 million move from Toulouse last summer.

Gretar Steinsson then crashed a header against the bar which proved a pivotal moment.

Minutes later, Agbonlahor volleyed an equaliser after Andy O'Brien was caught on the wrong side of the Villa danger man.

Five minutes from half time Martin O'Neill's team went in front.

Defender Martin Laursen reached Gareth Barry's free kick but the ball went past Jussi Jaaskelainen following a big deflection off Davies.

And Villa sealed maximum points when Agbonlahor converted Ashley Young's cross.

Megson says last season's defeat at Villa Park was the lowest point of his managerial career.

And this performance won't have pleased him any better.

With 12 minutes remaining, Agbonlahor returned the compliment for Young who followed his brace at Everton last Sunday with his third goal in two games.

Davies restored some pride for the visitors with an even later goal from a superb Steinsson cross.

But that's back to back defeats in December now for Wanderers, in danger now of throwing away their good work in November.

Bolton: Jaaskelainen 6, Steinsson 7, Cahill 6, A O'Brien 5, Samuel 5, Davies 7, McCann 6, Nolan 6, Muamba 5 ( 5 Gardner 53), Taylor 5, Elmander 6 (Smolarek 74) . Subs: Al Habsi, Smolarek, Gardner, Riga, Shittu, Basham, Obadeyi.

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