Fergie furious as Anelka sinks United

Ferguson was dismissed by referee Mark Clattenburg for a half-time tunnel rant at a succession of minor decisions that had gone against his team.

And the United manager's mood could not have been improved by the sight of his side losing at Bolton for the first time since December 1978, nor the fact the matchwinner, Nicolas Anelka, was a man he has tried to buy himself on several occasions.

With Nemanja Vidic missing with a back injury, Ferguson turned to Gerard Pique as Rio Ferdinand's central defensive partner, leaving Wes Brown in the right-back role he has been filling for much of the season.

Pique appeared quite hesitant but that still did not excuse the Spain under-21 international his crass mistake in flying out to head away a free-kick Ivan Campo floated into the United box.

In leaving Anelka on his own, Pique had to win the header. Instead, he made no contact at all and the Frenchman had enough time to control, turn and fire his seventh goal of the campaign past Edwin van der Sar before Ferdinand could close in.

It was a blunder United could well have done without given their lack of cohesion further up the field. Carlos Tevez beavered away without much success, as did Louis Saha, while wide pair Ryan Giggs and Nani were virtually anonymous.

Indeed, the Red Devils only decent opportunity fell to Owen Hargreaves, who screwed tamely wide. Moved to right-back following the introduction of Anderson for Pique, Hargreaves forced Jussi Jaaskelainen into a fine fingertip save with a 20-yard free-kick.

When United last lost in the Premier League, at Manchester City on August 19, Tevez missed a gilt-edged chance to level when he turned a point-blank header wide. This time, from hardly any further out, Tevez somehow turned his shot wide when Patrice Evra drilled a low cross into the six-yard box.

United continued to push forward but with hardly a defender left on the pitch by the end, they looked equally likely to get caught on the counter-attack as they did to find a leveller. And when Hargreaves clipped the roof of the net with an injury-time free-kick, Bolton were able to celebrate a memorable and long-awaited triumph.