After an uninspiring opening 20 minutes, Titus Bramble was adjudged to have upended Gabriel Agbonlahor in the penalty area, although he claimed to have played the ball fairly, and Barry made no mistake despite Chris Kirkland diving the right way.

Try as they might, Latics were unable to break through a resolute Villa rearguard, and Agbonlahor himself added the second on 57 minutes before creating the third for substitute John Carew just after the hour, with Steve Sidwell rubbing salt into the wounds with the fourth in the dying seconds.

Latics had created the first real chance when a slide tackle on Emile Heskey saw the ball fall into the path of Olivier Kapo, although the Frenchman's left-foot shot from 20 yards flew harmless over the crossbar and into the sizeable travelling contingent from the Midlands.

After a relatively quiet opening quarter, the visitors took the lead in controversial circumstances on 21 minutes when referee Mr Jones awarded
Villa a penalty.

Despite Bramble's protests, the JJB crowd looked on in collective disbelief as Barry made it 1-0, with Steve Bruce not for the first time this season standing on the touchline wondering when his side are going to catch a break.

They nearly equalised a couple of minutes later when a corner from Daniel de Ridder was headed goalwards by Heskey only for Brad Friedel to make the save, with the rebound being cleared just before Bramble could turn it in from five yards.

Latics themselves were claiming a penalty soon after when Zaki was upended in the box, with the referee not only waving play on but then booking Palacios, deservedly so, for scything down a breaking Agbonlahor.

Wigan came close again on the half-hour mark when a Palacios shot from 25 yards was parried out by Friedel into the path of Kapo, who again blazed over when he ought to have done better.

Heskey headed wide from a good position five minutes before the break before, after Nigel Reo-Coker clattered De Ridder 30 yards out, at the expense of a booking, the Dutchman floated the free kick directly into Friedel's welcoming hands.

Latics started the second half on top, and half-time substitute Jason Koumas, on for Kapo, forced a diving stop from Friedel at the expense of a corner, from which Scharner headed over.

The home side's task was made even harder 12 minutes into the second period when a corner from Ashley Young was headed on by Carew, on for Barry, into the path of Agbonlahor, who made no mistake from six yards out.

And it was over as a contest just after the hour mark when Agbonlahor skinned Scharner down the left and crossed for Carew to head home from close range, Kirkland again having no chance.

Wigan had half a chance moments later when Zaki, who was having a quiet game by his standards poked the ball a yards wide, and Bramble headed just past the post a minute later from Koumas' left-wing cross as they tried desperately to pull one back.

They came even closer with 25 minutes remaining when De Ridder's corner found the head of Bramble only for Friedel to pull off a superb save, diving to his right.

Latics knew it was not to be their day with 20 minutes on the clock, when Friedel deflected a Maynor Figueroa cross into the path of De Ridder, who sliced horribly wide from eight yards out.

The visitors nearly made it four with 15 minutes left when Lee Cattermole gave the ball away needlessly and Young forced a very good save from Kirkland, before substitute Sidwell did make it 4-0 with a cracking drive from 20 yards.

Latics: Kirkland, Boyce, Scharner, Bramble, Figueroa, De Ridder, Cattermole, Palacios, Kapo, Zaki, Heskey.
Subs: Pollitt, Taylor, Brown, Kilbane, Koumas, Cywka, Camara.

Villa: Friedel, Young, Laursen, Cuellar, Shorey, Milner, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Barry, Young, Agbonlahor.
Subs: Guzan, Davies, Knight, Sidwell, Gardner, Harewood, Carew.

Referee: M Jones.

For more in-depth analysis and reaction, see Monday's Evening Post and Tuesday's Observer.