Hull's fairytale start to Barclays Premier League life was emphatically crushed by a 5-0 defeat at the KC Stadium as Wigan pounced on some kamikaze defending to claim their first league win of the season in style.

Sam Ricketts sliced Kevin Kilbane's fourth-minute corner into his own net at the near post, before Antonio Valencia burst clear of a wide-open Tigers defence to double the advantage just eight minutes later.

The impressive Amr Zaki netted a third shortly after the hour mark while Emile Heskey pounced on Wayne Brown's woefully short backward header to make it four.

There was still time for Zaki to grab his second before the close to inflict Hull's first top-flight defeat and send the visitors into the two-week international break in buoyant mood.

Hull boss Phil Brown opted to give Caleb Folan the nod up front ahead of Dean Windass, with on-loan Wigan striker Marlon King ineligible to play against his parent club.

The only other change from the side which held Blackburn last weekend was the introduction of Brown in defence in place of Anthony Gardner.

Chris Kirkland returned in goal for the visiting Latics as boss Steve Bruce also kept faith with the majority of the starting XI narrowly beaten by Chelsea.

Jason Koumas' ankle problem meant he was only worthy of a place on the bench as Kilbane stepped in.

Hull started at an upbeat pace amid an electric atmosphere at the KC Stadium.

Their grit and determination was mixed with a genuine attempt to play fluent football and that almost created the opening goal after just two minutes, but Craig Fagan fired wide following good work from Geovanni.

Yet it was Wigan who took the lead in bizarre circumstances just minutes later.

Kilbane failed to get any height on his mis-hit corner and, in attempting to clear the danger at the near post, Tigers defender Ricketts slid and deflected the ball over a helpless Boaz Myhill and into an empty net.

The home fans were left stunned after 12 minutes as the Latics then doubled their advantage straight from a Hull corner.

Emmerson Boyce, who had almost put into his own net by giving away the set-piece, headed clear to Zaki and he flicked the ball on to Valencia near the halfway line.

The tricky forward man left a gaping Hull defence for dead before sprinting clean through to slot coolly under Myhill and hand Bruce a dream start.

Hull composed themselves as the half wore on and neat interplay in midfield set up both Geovanni and Folan, but they failed to really test Kirkland.

A lack of conviction in the final third was preventing the hosts from gaining any immediate way back into the game, despite their promising approach play.

And with Wigan looking dangerous on the counter-attack, the home side could find no way to reduce the arrears before the interval.

Hull had previously come from behind in both of their opening two games of the season, and they started the second half determined to gain something from this encounter.

Michael Turner headed narrowly over just 60 seconds after the restart, before Richard Garcia should have pulled one back, forcing a great parried stop from Kirkland from a promising position inside the area.

Windass was handed his 100th Premier League appearance after 55 minutes, but it was not long before the wind was well and truly taken from Hull's sails as Zaki netted Wigan's third.

A long cross-field ball found its way to Valencia by the touchline and he squared a ball past a static Tigers defence, who failed to react as the Egyptian took a touch and fired home his second Premier League goal of the campaign to date.

The victory became a rout just five minutes later as Heskey capitalised on a disastrously short backward header from Brown to round Myhill and fire into the net.

Turner again headed over from close range when he really should have at least hit the target.

But Hull's efforts in attack were proving fruitless as Bruce's Wigan grabbed a fifth in the 80th minute through the impressive Zaki.

The striker picked the ball up on the edge of the area before smashing his thunderous effort off the crossbar and down over the line.

Although it took some time for the referee's assistant to flag for the goal, by the time it was given, some of the 24,282 inside the KC Stadium were heading for the exits.