STEVE WIGLEY'S time in charge of Saints could hardly have got off to a worse start.

They conceded a goal in seven minutes and were 2-0 down after 26 at home to Bolton.

Chants of 'sack the board' ringing around the ground were hardly a huge endorsement of Wigley's appointment.

What he needed, and most of all the club needed, was to deflect the attention from the goings-on of the past few days and get back to what it's all about - playing, and winning, football matches.

But, with emotion running high, it was always going to go one of two ways.

If it was a good performance and a win, then things would have died down a little. The pressure would have been eased if not totally released and everybody could have got their heads together again.

The other alternative was to play badly and possibly even lose. Then the pressure would be on and, inevitably, the fans, ready to turn, would seek to vent their anger.

Sadly it was the latter.

In fairness to the St Mary's faithful, they supported their team impeccably.

No matter what their feelings on the past few days, they never stopped willing the team on and chanting for them.

You felt they made a real effort to show they were presenting a united front in supporting the players.

But, with not much coming back on the pitch, they felt it was appropriate to direct their anger towards Rupert Lowe in the director's box - the chairman took an large amount of stick.

With Saints away to Chelsea at the weekend, the immediate prospects of things perking up don't look great, so the club will hope everybody cools off in the two-week international break that follows.

As for Wigley, the situation is not ideal for him to be taking over - but it is a good chance.

Even so, you feel that this head coach role needs to be clarified once and for all.

Does that effectively make him the manager? It would appear that way, but there are mixed messages all over the place.

Will somebody come in over his head or alongside him? The fans don't expect to be told names yet but just want to know what the management structure will be, because many of them outside St Mary's before the game weren't sure whether Wigley was a caretaker boss or their new chief.

After keeping the reasons for Paul Sturrock's departure under wraps, there is a real thirst for knowledge now and perhaps the time has come, maybe after the weekend, for some answers.

Whatever was going on off the field, Wigley would still have hoped for better from his players on it.

To their credit, Bolton are an excellent team away from home.

Their defence sits deep on the edge of their own area and, when defending, they put ten men behind the ball, leaving Kevin Davies as a lone striker.

But, when they break, Stelios and Henrik Pedersen effectively make it a three-man frontline with Jay-Jay Okocha not far behind.

They invite teams to have possession but say they are going to need something special to break them down.

Saints didn't have that.

And, unfortunately, added to that, they were again shaky at the back.

Danny Higginbotham had a bit of nightmare and played Pedersen onside for the first goal, which he calmly slotted home after seven minutes.

It was 2-0 on 26 minutes when Higginbotham mis-controlled the ball and then panicked with a crazy challenge on Stelios to concede a penalty. Okocha side footed home.

Saints were always in the game but couldn't break down the Bolton defence for most of the match, managing only long- range efforts with Rory Delap and Fabrice Fernandes the closest to scoring.

Saints only created three clear scoring chances. James Beattie put his free header over the bar on 70 minutes before Peter Crouch scored his first goal for the club to pull one back five minutes from time.

Paul Telfer whipped in a cross from a short corner, Jussi Jaaskelainen didn't hold on and Crouch was there to force home.

It set up a frantic finish and Claus Lundekvam had a great chance to level the scores in injury-time but headed wide.

All in all, it was a disappointing evening and the pressure on Saints is going to get worse before it eases.

Sunday can't come quick enough for those at St Mary's right now.