MANCHESTER City's away day struggles continued at the Reebok Stadium where the Blues slipped to defeat against spirited Bolton.

Mark Hughes' men were beaten at Middlesbrough in midweek, and again failed to find a spark against the Trotters.

Ricardo Gardner put Bolton ahead after 77 minutes, converting Gretar Steinsson's driven cross, before Richard Dunne scored an own-goal with three minutes remaining. It was City's fourth defeat in six away league games.

City offered precious little. Robinho showed plenty of glimpses of quality but the Brazilian and his team-mates could find no way past Jussi Jaaskelainen, who made at least three saves of the highest quality.

The crowd again fell several thousand below capacity, the swathes of empty seats a reflection of the Trotters’ struggles but City supporters also failed to come close to selling their ticket allocation.

Those who had bothered to turn up at least got to watch Robinho in the flesh and he showed plenty of early promise with some delightful footwork and acute awareness of players around him.

The Brazilian magician was deployed just behind Evans but frequently drifted out to the left flank in a bid to collect possession.

He did that in the sixth minute, with almost devastating consequences for Bolton. Gliding his way infield from the left, Robinho hit a ferocious, dipping right-foot shot which flew narrowly over Jaaskelainen’s crossbar.

City carved out the most clear-cut chance in the 41st minute when Ched Evans’ neat pass cut Bolton to pieces and gave Stephen Ireland a clear run of goal, but Jaaskelainen raced off his line to smother the midfielder’s low shot.

Interval

Bolton replaced Mustapha Riga with Gardner shortly before the interval after the Dutchman took a knock following a heavy challenge from Dunne.

But Jaaskelainen was forced into another fine parried save on the stroke of half-time when he denied Evans after the Welshman was put clear by Wright-Phillips, who then headed straight at the goalkeeper after the ball was played back into the danger zone.

City sought to up the tempo after the restart and in the 51st minute Wright-Phillips embarked on a fine run, cutting in from the left flank and engineering the space to thrash a left-foot shot over the crossbar.

The visitors went far closer in the 57th minute when Robinho found the space to turn past Steinsson and plant a neat right-foot shot which required another fine save from Jaaskelainen.

While Bolton’s quality was questionable, their spirit was not in doubt and in the 62nd minute Hart denied Kevin Nolan with a brave close-range save before referee Mike Riley waved away appeals for a penalty following Dunne’s clumsy challenge on Matty Taylor.

The breakthrough finally arrived with 13 minutes remaining when Nolan’s astute pass sent Steinsson clear down the right flank.

He whipped in a low cross which Gardner fired in left-footed off the underside of the crossbar.

The goal poured confidence into Megson’s players and victory was assured minutes from time when Gardner crossed low from the left and the hapless Dunne fired the ball into his own net from six yards.

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