REPORT: Bristol Rovers 0 Wigan Athletic 4: Four-midable Tics make amends for last season with Bristol bashing

It could and should have been even more, as Latics put in arguably their best performance under Shaun Maloney – and this time got the goals their performance warranted.

Latics led 2-0 at the break, with both goals carbon copies of each other.

Rovers were unable to clear a right-wing corner, and on-loan Manchester United striker Joe Hugill stabbed home from close range on 20 minutes and 40 minutes respectively.

Had Jensen Weir – in for his second ‘debut’ – not sent a left-foot shot agonisingly over an open goal, it would have been three at the interval.

But it mattered not, as Latics picked up where they’d left off after the restart, Thelo Aasgaard taking advantage of a goalkeeping howler to sidefoot home five minutes into the second period.

And Luke Chambers added number four with 19 minutes remaining, drilling home a right-wing free-kick that beat the goalkeeper – who was expecting a cross – at his near post.

It went from bad to worse for Rovers, who had Tyler Moore sent off in the closing stages for a headbutt on Latics substitute Maleace Asamoah.