Errors played a part in all the visitors' goals, but boss Roy Keane insisted the buck stops with him after four straight home defeats.

Sunderland players were in sombre mood as they left the Stadium of Light following Saturday's 4-1 loss, during which skipper Dean Whitehead was jeered by a section of the crowd for his part in Bolton's fourth goal.

The latest bitter blow leaves the Black Cats second from bottom of the Premier League heading into next weekend's visit to Manchester United.

Nosworthy said: "I have made costly mistakes in the past, so I know how the lads are feeling.

"There's no worse feeling than making a mistake, and knowing it has cost your team badly.

"At the moment we're having a sticky patch as a team, and we need to get out of it as a team.

"We have to pull together, stick it out, and fight for every point that's available."

As if the final score was not bad enough, Sunderland will also reflect ruefully on a disallowed goal which would have made the score 2-2 before the break.

Djibril Cisse thought he was celebrating his seventh goal of the season and second of the match on the half-hour, only for the cheers to be strangled by a linesman's flag for a foul by Kenwyne Jones in the build-up.

"I thought it was a good equaliser, but I'm not going to start moaning about the officials, because it won't change the result and won't change the mistakes we made in the game," said Nosworthy.

There's every chance that Saturday's televised visit to Manchester United will leave Sunderland with a seventh defeat in eight games since beating Newcastle.

Nosworthy added: "Everyone will expect us to lose at Old Trafford, so anything we can get is a big result.

"We have to go there with our heads up and our chests out, and give it everything.

"There's no point in going to Old Trafford and trying just to soak all the pressure – regardless of our position, we have to give it a go."