Bolton eased to their win thanks to three late goals which should all have been prevented by the Blues defence.

El-Hadji Diouf and Nicolas Anelka, twice, were the beneficiaries as Wanderers raced out of sight - and above City in the Barclays Premier League table - in the last 18 minutes.

"It was Christmas come early for Bolton today," McLeish lamented.

"We were well in the game when Bolton scored and I thought we had a little bit of the pressure in their half for a change.

"They obviously dominated territorially but the last 20 minutes was pretty hard to take."

Bolton took the lead in the 72nd minute following a defensive howler from Stephen Kelly.

Anelka did well to break down the left and fire in a low cross from the byline, but Kelly should have cleared the bobbling ball with ease.

Instead, he miskicked completely, allowing Diouf to collect at the far post, turn inside the full-back and fire into the corner of the net.

It was two six minutes later after more comic defending.

This time Johan Djourou was the guilty party as his throw-in back to Maik Taylor sold his keeper short, allowing Anelka to steal in, go around the stranded stopper and tap home from an acute angle.

Anelka was then gifted a third in injury-time after Blues striker Cameron Jerome gave the ball away poorly in midfield.

Kevin Nolan casually played in the Frenchman who fired home confidently for his 11th goal of the season as the defence stood statuesque.

McLeish added: "The lads came in and held their hands up and apologised, but saying that they know in the Premier League the standards are that mistakes should be very rare - and it's got to be a right few games before they make another.

"I spoke to the players but it's private and always will be.

"I can't fault their effort, but the gifts must affect the rest of the team."

The match was a turgid affair for long periods, particularly in the first half when neither side was able to keep to ball for long enough to exert any concerted pressure.

A goalless draw seemed almost inevitable and it was no surprise that it took mistakes for the goals to come.

That was a view shared by Bolton boss Gary Megson.

"You are always pleased whatever way it (a win) comes, more so given the fact it's a team in and around where we are at the moment," he said.

"The first half, the first 15 minutes we were very good, the last 30 was like watching paint dry - both teams cancelled each other out, there wasn't a great deal going on and we weren't playing the football that suits our footballers."

After watching star striker Anelka clinically dispatch Blues with his well-taken brace, Megson also insisted that rumours of a January transfer window move for the Frenchman were premature.

"All I've heard is what other people tell me is in the papers," he insisted.

"I can tell you, hand on heart, that no manager has rang me to say 'would you let Nicolas go', or indeed any other player, and nobody on the board has had that.

"It's just dealing with speculation at the moment."