A very rude awakening is delivered by a powerful and skillful Wigan side, who knock five past City's weakened defence in order to bring the Tigers' unbeaten Premier League run to an abrupt end.

Report by James Lockwood.

Oh dear, how can you write a match report after that?

The thing is, in spells City didn’t really play that bad. Despite set-backs in the first half, City still kept trying to play. When in possession, the players were able to stroke the ball around well, passing with confidence, but maybe lacked a little cutting edge up front.

However at times, Wigan passed the ball around very well also. The difference from when City passed it around, Wigan seemed to move the ball more quickly.

Unaware of what was about to occur, Gardner was conspicuous by his absence and Boateng was later seen catching the 18.12 Hull Trains service down to London. So City lined up with 10 players from last season's Championship side

Myhill
Ricketts Turner Brown Dawson
Garcia Ashbee Marney Fagan
Geovanni Folan

The opening started brightly with a long ball up field from Marney to Geovanni on the left. He played the ball into Fagan who unleashed a shot just wide.

At the other end of the pitch, Wigan’s first real attack saw their first goal. Dawson conceded a corner from Zaki. The resulting corner seemed to be mishit, so was played low into the area, where it met Ricketts at the front post, who deflected the ball into the back of the net.

Heskey has always been a player that’s taken a lot of stick for his lack of goal scoring, but again today, his work rate was immense. I was however in the belief that he was taller than reality. Standing next to Brown, they were about level height. I always thought Emile was taller than that? Anyway, his jumping and aerial ability was there for all to see. His flick on to De Ridder from a free kick saw De Ridder hit the ball wide.

On 10, Brown won a free kick in challenge with Valencia. The ball released Folan down the right channel, who crossed to Geovanni. His shot was blocked for a corner, which Ricketts and Dawson play a short corner routine, only to see the resulting cross headed clear by Heskey. With the ball up field Valencia beat Brown, the only remaining defender for pace, leaving him one on one with Myhill before coolly slotting past out exposed keeper. Be it Browns lack of pace, or the daft corner routine which had 3 of our defenders up field, it was a daft set piece which gifted the goal.

Following that second set back, city quickly win another corner. Again another short corner routine is set up and again comes to nothing for us. Fortunately Wigan were not able to exploit our defending again

With City regaining their composure, a long ball up by Brown is claimed by Folan, who plays in Geovanni, just inside the area, but shoots straight at Kirkland. Ricketts and Garcia then combine up the right before crossing over to the left wing to Fagan. His cross just evades Folan at the back post before going wide.

With Wigan again pushing forward, Brown feels the best challenge on Zaki is to push him. A challenge that is repeated a few times in the game. From the free kick Kilbane hits well over.

At a similar time, a plane pulling a large banner behind, showing a red shirt with the number 0 and some illegible text starts circling the KC. Now call me picky, but that really was a wasted effort in advertising. In fact it seems to be really wasted when I noticed at half time some of the text showed bt.com/vision. The only part of the UK where you can’t get BT, and they fly a plane advertising a service.

Into the last 10 minutes of the half, Wigan win a free kick 25 yards out. Kilbane whips the ball in towards Heskey, who seemed to jump out of the way of the ball, and an easy chance, allowing Brown to clear.

Soon afterwards, Ashbee gets his second booking of the season with a push on Kilbane.

The ball is played wide to Fagan in the dying minutes of the first half, who wins a corner. Marney's ball is headed goalwards by Folan before being deflected for a corner. Dawson takes the second, which is played deep and headed back by Turner. The ball is half cleared to Ashbee whose shot is wide.

City start the second half brightly. First Turner heads over a Dawson corner, then after De Ridder handles and play is allowed to continue, Folan and Geovanni combine to set up Fagan, but his shot is easily saved.

With Kilbane limping, Wigan replace him with Ex-Blade and Man City thug Michael Brown. At the same time Geovanni departs for Windass.

Deano’s first run sees him fouled by the dead ball line by Bramble. The Dawson free-kick is then headed goal wards by Turner, before an instinctive Bramble clearance gets the ball away

Soon afterwards, Garcia departs, to be replaced by Barmby. With Fagan pushed further forward, City take up a 4-2-4 formation.

Soon after, Fagan fouls Valencia on the left. The ball is played to the right wing to Valencia, and his low pass finds Zaki to easily side-foot the ball home to make it 3-0.

A Barmby foul on Valencia sees Boyce hits his shot wide. Soon afterward, the scoreline gets worse. A long ball up field by Kirkland is misjudged by the very good Turner. As a result, he’s only able to flick the ball into the path of Heskey, who scores his easy chance.

Dawson is soon replaced by Mendy, with Bernard taking up the right-back spot and Ricketts moving over to the left.

With Wigan cruising, Cattermole is replaced by Ex-Birmingham attacker Kapo.

The ball is soon played up the right to Windass. His ball in finds Fagan whose shot is saved for a corner, the result of which is headed over by Turner.

The final nail on the tiger coffin sees Zaki hit the ball from the right angle of the area and hit the cross bar before being cleared. However as City clears their lines, the linesman flags saying the ball crossed the line.

After Heskey goes off for Kamara, City stroke the ball around to “Ole’s” from the crowd. Eventually Folan plays in Mendy who shoots over

Overall it was a bad day. We’ve had many of these in the past, and no doubt will have many more in the future. It’s memories of the games like this that makes games like the play-off final more memorable.

Finally, it’s worth crediting the Hull support. Even at 5-0, the fans still backed the side and a few clapped the team off at the end of the game. We know this season is going to be hard, but it can only be made easier with the fans behind the team

HULL CITY (4-4-2): Myhill; Ricketts, Turner, Brown, Dawson; Garcia, Ashbee, Marney, Fagan; Geovanni, Folan.  Subs: Windass (for Geovanni, 56), Barmby (for Garcia, 60), Mendy (for Dawson, 71), Hughes, Cooper, Halmosi, Duke.

Goals: None

Booked: Ashbee

Sent Off: None

WIGAN ATHLETIC: Kirkland, Melchiot, Boyce, Bramble, Figueroa, Valencia, Palacios, Cattermole, Kilbane, Heskey, Zaki.  Subs: Brown (for Kilbane, 56), Kapo (for Cattermole, 79), Camara (for Heskey, 85), Pollitt, Koumas, De Ridder, Kupisz.

Goals: Ricketts (og) 5; Valencia 13; Zaki 63, 81; Heskey 68

Booked: None

Sent Off: None

REFEREE:   M Jones

ATTENDANCE: 24,282