Grant McCann admitted his Hull side could and perhaps should have won by even more than their 5-0 drubbing of Sky Bet League One strugglers Wigan at the DW Stadium.

The Tigers were crushed 8-0 on their last trip to Wigan – seven months ago in the Championship – before both sides were relegated to the third tier.

While Wigan’s desperate off-field plight goes on and on, the Tigers are now only a point off the top of the table and looking to have a good chance of going straight back up.

And McCann believes his side weren’t far off matching their eight-goal defeat and exacting the perfect revenge.

When asked whether Hull should have scored more goals, he replied: “I think we could have done.

“We’ve also hit the post, there were a couple of other half chances, and I don’t think the goal Reece Burke scored was offside.

“We could have had more, but we’ll settle for the five goals and three points.”

Wigan came flying out of the blocks, but failed to take advantage of a couple of half chances in the opening quarter.

And once Mallik Wilks scored the first of his hat-trick – Josh Magennis and Keane Lewis-Potter added the others – the visitors never looked in any danger of dropping points.

“I thought we started the game slowly, the first five or 10 minutes we were a bit slow out of the blocks,” McCann added.

“That goal from Mallik has given everyone a lift, I said before that one goal would lift everyone’s spirits and it did.

“It was a really good goal from Mallik, that’s what he can do, that’s what he’s about.”

For Wigan boss Leam Richardson, a third 5-0 reversal in his side’s last six home matches was tough to take.

“I thought for the first half an hour we were good value, but the first goal knocked the stuffing out of us,” said Richardson.

“It reflects where we’re at just now…ball into the box, shot goes through your goalkeeper’s legs, you’re a goal down…and you’re scratching your head.

“It’s been my job and our job to try to keep matters off the pitch away from the pitch.

“But you’re very conscious that a few of them are maybe seeping through at the moment.

“It’s well documented what’s happened here over the last few months… since Stoke at home last year all we’ve been doing is taking punches.

“Everybody’s energy levels are dipping by the day, and it’s up to me to keep everyone going.

“Having said that, we’re an experienced group now – albeit not in terms of games played recently – and there’s enough in there to ensure results like tonight don’t happen.”

Wigan lost Scott Wootton at half-time, after the centre-back’s pregnant wife was taken to hospital.

“His missus is in hospital, they’re expecting a baby, and we wish them well,” Richardson added.

“I’m led to believe everything’s okay, so that’s obviously the most important thing.”