Bolton manager Gary Megson sent his best wishes to Sam Allardyce as he prepares to go into hospital.

Then he saw his side dismantled in the derby, despite the absence of the Blackburn boss, and they remain in the relegation zone.

David Dunn made the breakthrough with a fine finish after a good build-up and then a bizarre own goal from Sam Ricketts sealed Bolton's fate.

Megson said: "I was disappointed the zip did not look there from minute one. I know how far the players are running and we are down on last year.

"That has got to be our starting point in trying to get out of this trouble we are in.

"We have to be organised, hard working, competitive and try and go on from there."

Allardyce, who had a successful eight-year spell at Bolton, is having an angioplasty - a procedure to widen one of his coronary arteries - on Friday.

Megson said: "I rang him and had a good chat and of course our thoughts are with him and his family.

"Everyone at Bolton wishes him a speedy recovery and a return to full health."

Allardyce will also miss matches against Fulham and Stoke with his return expected next week when Blackburn face Chelsea in the Carling Cup.

In his absence his side ended a run of 10 straight defeats on the road in the Barclays Premier League.

Assistant manager Neil McDonald, who is in temporary charge, said: "Hopefully we have put a bit of a smile on his face and taken a little bit of stress away from him with this win.

"I would like to think it will give him a chance to recover knowing his team has done well. I am told it is a routine operation, so he should be back fighting fit very soon."

Megson was left angered by his side's defending.

Dunn opened the scoring with his sixth goal of the season and Blackburn then sealed the game when Ricketts headed past Jussi Jaaskelainen, not realising the goalkeeper had taken a walk.

Megson said: "Jussi was not aware Sam was going to get there. But there didn't seem to be any need for Jussi to come. It was comic cuts.

"The first goal was always going to be important. When they scored it took the wind out of our sails."