Wigan were everything that is good about the English top flight, while Barnsley were beaten before they knew it.
Little sign of the grit, team spirit and style that did for Liverpool and Chelsea in the FA Cup was produced against slick, hard working Wigan.
Barnsley perked up in the second half and rookie keeper Kyle Letheren produced two or three magnificent stops – including one from a penalty - by way of some damage limitation while Jon Macken and Jamal Campbell-Ryce might have struck meagre consolation goals.
In under half an hour Barnsley were trailing 3-0. Two minutes later and Wigan had hit the woodwork twice.
Worse for keeper Letheren, the only cheer he and team-mates heard were the ironic ones when he succeeded in the simplest of his tasks.
He was at fault for Wigan's second, Brian Howard had to take some of the blame for the first.
Wigan's latest addition, £3.5m man Lee Cattermole, who was signed yesterday from Middlesbrough, robbed him just outside the box and Marlon King was found at Letheren's left hand post. He scored with a blast from eight yards.
Wigan lost defender Paul Scharner to injury but they stayed firmly on top.
Daniel de Ridder located Emile Heskey and his drive from 12 yards went under Letheren's dive.
A first time strike from sub Antonio Valencia made it 3-0 before De Ridder crashed one against the underside of the bar and then one onto Letheren's left hand post.
De Ridder made it 4-0 two minutes after the restart. Letheren had saved his initial attempt, Darren Moore hoofed a clearance and it hit the Dutchman and crept in.
Letheren then made two quality stops ahead of de Ridder's second and Wigan's fifth goal. With the young keeper off his line a clever chip nestled into the net.
A hat-trick was on the cards when Rob Kozluk handled in the box. De Ridder slammed his spotkick low and right only for Letheren to make a diving block.
Macken crashed a shot against the bar with just keeper Mike Pollitt to beat before Michael Brown stooped to head home Wigan's sixth goal.
CLICK ON THE GREEN PLAY BUTTON ABOVE TO SEE PICTURES FROM LAST NIGHT'S MATCHBarnsley: Letheren, Foster, Moore, Souza, Kozluk (van Homoet 57 mins), Leon (Campbell-Ryce h-t), Howard (Devaney h-t), Hassell (Togwell 71), El Haimour, Hume (Odejayi 74), Macken (Adam 74).
Wigan: Politt, Melchiot (Montrose 58), Figueroa, Boyce, Scharner (Valencia 13, Kupisz 58), Palacios (Brown 58), De Ridder, Cattermole (Cotterill 74), Heskey (Camara h-t), King, Kilbane.
Referee: S Mathieson.
Attendance: 3,668.
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