As the posters advertising ‘Circus of Horrors’ (Civic Hall, 30 Jan) mocked us on the way out of Wolverhampton, it wasn’t hard to see where the inspiration for this particular show might have come from.

The game started scrappily, with Wigan ultimately having the best of the first half. Hahnemann pulled off a couple of impressive saves, and a bit of luck with a rebound off the inside of the crossbar kept Wolves in the game and in with a chance at 0-0 as half time was about to be blown.

Then Stearman inexplicably pulled his man over, chasing a nothing ball towards the corner flag. Penalty Wigan, and a second yellow for Stearman. Wolves have conceeded some stupid penalties this season (the flailing handed Zubar winning my previous award for idiot of the week), but this outstripped all of them, and by some distance.

That Wolves went in all square at half time was entirely due to the continued excellence of Hahnemann, who saved at least a few of Stearman’s blushes with his penalty save.

Wolves actually started the second half on top and created their best chances in the first 15 minutes, seemingly not missing their erstwhile right back at all, although Ebanks-Blake continued to frustrate. However, as soon as James McCarthy slotted home Wigan’s opener the game was up.

Suddenly it was all Wigan, and the crowd gave up on the game at the same time as the team. Thomas’s sending off for Wigan provided a moment of hope, but Wigan’s second goal hardly came as a surprise. Molineux was all but empty, barring the 23 Wigan supporters who had bothered to make the journey, at the final whistle.