Leeds United's hopes of English premier league survival disappeared in eight awful second-half minutes as a 1-0 lead turned into a 4-1 defeat at Bolton Wanderers that, barring a miracle, will send them down.
The result left Leeds six points behind Manchester City with two games remaining but with City boasting a goal difference better by 36, relegation is a formality.
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In the battle for fourth place Liverpool and Aston Villa both won to edge ahead of Newcastle United, beaten 1-0 by Manchester City on Saturday.
Liverpool beat Middlesbrough 2-0 with a Danny Murphy penalty and a goal for Emile Heskey, while Aston Villa beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 with an early header by Juan Pablo Angel.
Liverpool have 56 points, Villa 55 and Newcastle, with a game in hand, 53. Liverpool host Newcastle on the last day of the season in what looks likely to decide who makes the Champions League qualifying round.
Three years ago to the day Leeds were playing Valencia in the semi-finals of Europe's elite competition but now, with most of that team long sold and the club still in debt, their immediate future looks bleak.
VIDUKA OFF
Leeds, ever-present in the premier league and the last team to win the old first division title in 1992, knew they had to win on Sunday and got the ideal start when Mark Viduka converted a penalty in the 27th minute.
But the Australian played only six more minutes before being sent off for a second yellow card in two minutes, both for elbowing. His second red card in a month proved costly.
Bolton were level two minutes after halftime when Youri Djorkaeff latched on to a clever Jay-Jay Okocha pass to score from close range and the Frenchman got his second six minutes later.
When Ian Harte clumsily diverted a left-wing cross into his own net two minutes after that, the turnaround was complete.
Bolton were in complete control from then on and it was no surprise when Nolan latched onto another killer Okocha pass to tuck in the fourth 12 minutes from time.
Caretaker manager Eddie Gray, one of the stalwarts of the great Leeds teams of the late 1960s and early 70s, said there was a huge feeling of disappointment around the club.
"When you are second-bottom after 36 games you don't deserve anything else," he told Sky Sports TV. "We just lacked a bit of quality."
Gray said the club's off-field problems and financial pressures had not helped but the bottom line was the loss of leading players.
"I think the club will bounce back...but in the future we will probably have to start producing our own players," he said.
Bolton remain on course for their highest premier league finish as their fourth win in a row takes them up to seventh.
Liverpool were always on top at Anfield and, after Michael Owen hit a post and Harry Kewell had a goal disallowed for offside in the first half, Danny Murphy broke the deadlock with a 49th-minute penalty after Owen was brought down.
Substitute Emile Heskey got the second four minutes later and the home side eased through the rest of the game.
"The fight for fourth will go right to the end but that win puts us at the front," said manager Gerard Houllier.
"The confidence is back now and I believe we will make it."
Villa made it seven games unbeaten as Angel got his 22nd of the season after just five minutes, reacting well to head home Gareth Barry's knock-back.