IN ONE fleeting first half moment, Middlesbrough's dreadful start to the Premiership campaign was summed up by the profligacy of the club's strikeforce.

Lone front-man Szilard Nemeth found himself in space, seemingly the size of Lancashire, and was faced with just the goalkeeper to beat.

But the Slovakian somehow directed his shot straight at Jussi Jaaskelainen and Bolton retained their slender one-goal lead.

The build up to that move was by far Boro's most fluent and productive of the match at the Reebok Stadium.

A counter-attack saw Juninho go clear down the left and the little Brazilian's clever ball to Nemeth caught Bolton's defence with their guard down - Jasskelainen, though, was in a more fighting mood.

Boro boss Steve McClaren conceded afterwards he is having to try different tactics to try to accommodate so many attack-minded players.

McClaren has the unenviable task, albeit an appetising one, of finding a system to suit new signings Boudewijn Zenden and Gaizka Mendieta, as well as fans' favourite Juninho - who was disgusted after being hauled off just before the hour mark at Bolton.

It was always the Boro manager's intention to boost his midfield ranks during the summer and few would argue with the quality he has brought in.

However, times are hard at the Riverside and goals from strikers are certainly a rare commodity.

Nemeth - replaced at half-time following his abject display in front of goal - is the only striker who has hit the net this season.

Malcolm Christie and Massimo Maccarone were both ruled out of the match and former Bolton man Michael Ricketts is still off the pace after spending the majority of the summer trying to shake off injury and fitness problems.

It is a situation that begs the question: Does McClaren regret not trying that little bit harder to buy Sunderland's post-war record goalscorer Kevin Phillips? Only he will know.

Phillips may have only scored once since his move to Southampton, but he has been a consistent performer and his partnership with James Beattie will only get better.

Conversely, while the Phillips-Beattie pairing goes from strength to strength, McClaren is still searching for his first choice strikeforce.

After the debacle at the Reebok Stadium - the ground where Bolton preserved their top-flight status on the final day of last season with a 2-1 success over Boro - the Teessiders are still searching for their first win of the campaign.

One point from five games is relegation material, thankfully for Boro this season is still in its infancy.

But the target of European football, by the League route, is already looking increasingly more of a dream than a realistic aim.

And as the pressure mounts on McClaren, he insists the new and the old blood within his squad need to bond - and quickly.

"We have got the players here but they are just gelling together," said McClaren, who played Juninho behind Nemeth in attack.

"We tried certain things and realised it didn't work. It's about getting the balance between defending and being able to create.

"Goals change games. We seemed to have settled well but we went one down and it didn't go for us.

"The international break unsettled us. We signed Zenden two weeks ago and met him on Friday! But you can make all the excuses in the world but I'm not going to.

"The blame is on all of our shoulders. The pressure is always there in football. It'll never go away, no matter where you are. You always want to win and the pressure is there if you don't.

"I can feel the fans' disappointment. They deserve better than that. My job, our jobs and the players' jobs is to make sure we give them better.

"There's only five games gone and we are not going to panic. We will find out where we will be after 15 games."

Boro started encouragingly. Spraying the ball around patiently across the back-line.

Debutant Zenden, on loan from Chelsea, had a shot well saved by Jaaskelainen and then the giant Finn denied a long range effort from Jonathan Greening after Nemeth, Zenden and Mendieta combined.

Soon after, Bolton began to take control and the opening goal came on 25 minutes.

A terrific corner from impressive Greek winger Stelios Giannakopoulos was powered off the head by striker Kevin Davies - who worked his way in front of Colin Cooper - beyond helpless Mark Schwarzer.

Nemeth's failure to convert his chance seven minutes later was dubbed a 'defining moment' by McClaren - he was right.

A free-kick from Zenden 15 minutes from time was Boro's best other chance to level matters, but again Jaaskelainen was equal to the Dutchman's drive.

And six minutes later Bolton made sure of the points. Stelios' overhead cross from the left was headed past Schwarzer by substitute defender Bruno N'Gotty, who had worked his way in at the back post unmarked.

Dreadful starts are becoming all to familiar for McClaren. Two years ago he suffered four straight defeats to open his first spell in management.

But this time it could be much worse. Without a win in five games and three matches coming up - Everton, Brighton and Southampton - which the nervous Boro faithful would normally expect three victories from.

After that it's a trip to the West London billionaires of Chelsea - Boro had best pocket some points quickly.

Result: Bolton Wanderers 2, Middlesbrough 0.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.