WANDERERS slumped to a humbling 4-0 home defeat to Huddersfield Town as their awful start to the season continued apace.

Further pressure has been heaped on the shoulders of manager Ian Evatt as his team looked miles away from one which stands a chance of challenging for automatic promotion this season.

Huddersfield, who came down from the Championship last season and who move into third with this result, claimed three points without really having to play at their best.

Wanderers had hoped the international break would provide time to refocus in the league but the first half showed up many of the same problems that had dogged them in the previous few games.

Aaron Collins’ curling effort from the edge of the box was the only time they really threatened the visitors’ goal, and though Dion Charles also momentarily looked like getting in on goal only to be thwarted by a sprawling Miichael Helik challenge, their level of menace was miniscule.

Wanderers continued with their adapted ‘3-4-2-1’ formation but, not for the first time, the plan failed to bear fruit. Despite having an extra attacker on the pitch the ball rarely stayed in the Terriers’ half, and the gap between back three and front three at times looked gigantic.

In truth, Michael Duff’s side were also quite sloppy in possession for most of the half but they did manage to exert more pressure on the Bolton with a steady stream of crosses and set pieces. Ricardo Santos had made a couple of well-timed blocks and clearances but could not prevent Josh Koroma from heading home from close range after an excellent ball from the left by Callum Marshall.

Things were about to go from bad to worse, however, and the fragmented boos the players heard as they jogged back down the tunnel were nothing compared to the ones they heard later in the afternoon.

It had already been a sloppy start to the second half when Nathan Baxter pulled off a stunning close-range save to push Anthony Evans’ header over the crossbar.

Victor Adeboyejo, who had replaced Dion Charles at half time, had a hopeful shout for a penalty turned down as his cross bounced off Nigel Lonwijk, and just a few moments later referee Alex Chilowicz was pointing to the spot at the other end after Chris Forino tangled with Koroma.

The same player got up to slip a penalty past Baxter and double the lead, leaving the Whites with a proverbial mountain to climb. They had barely taken one step on that journey when a third goal went in – this time Ben Wiles placing a curling shot into the bottom corner after Wanderers repeatedly failed to clear their lines from a corner.

Many of those who did not voice their disapproval departed from the stadium altogether, with thousands of seats vacated and a full 20 minutes of the game still to go.

At least that meant there were fewer eyes on a farcical fourth goal, scored by Evans after Baxter misplaced a pass and gave the former Bristol Rovers man a clear path to pass the ball into the empty net.

Huddersfield’s support took glee in Bolton’s misery, taunting Evatt with chants of “sacked in the morning”.

The suited Bolton boss stood unmoved on the edge of his technical area, hands in pockets, knowing the criticism that was on its way.

Bolton had been poor in the first half but woeful in the second. The lack of a response in the second 45 minutes is a truly worrying sign indeed.