Master overcame apprentice once more as Sam Allardyce continued his unbeaten Premier League record against former sidekick Phil Brown. But, it was the loss of one of Brown’s on-field generals, the Dutch midfielder George Boateng, to a contentious first-half red card, that had more to do with the outcome than a tactical triumph by the Blackburn boss.

Blackburn, whose form at Ewood Park could not be more of a contrast to their woeful away displays, reacted well to the shake-up in personnel and formation imposed by manager Allardyce following their tepid defeat at Stoke.

There were changes aplenty; former Hull player Keith Andrews, and the more illustrious pair of Míchel Salgado and El Hadji Diouf were all drafted in, the defence redesigned due to Christopher Samba’s suspension and the policy of two frontmen ditched for a more conservative 4-1-4-1 system.

Hull goalkeeper Boaz Myhill acrobatically flipped a glancing header from Ryan Nelsen over the bar following a Morten Gamst Pedersen free-kick and then flapped at another nod across his six-yard box by Diouf before the home team took the lead on the quarter-hour.

Moment of fortune, or moment of magic, it came from a surge from left-back Martin Olsson who, taking Pedersen’s chipped pass in his stride, repelled a bustling challenge from Craig Fagan and, keeping his feet, he forced a left foot shot in off Myhill from an acute angle.

Seconds earlier, Hull might have been ahead themselves as an intricate exchange of passes led to Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink’s measured effort being turned around a post by Paul Robinson’s outstretched left hand.

But Hull’s chances of clawing their way back into the contest received a significant blow when Boateng was dismissed for a robust aerial challenge on Pedersen six minutes before the break. It was the kind of decision from referee Lee Probert that would make one advocate the use of technology in breaks of play.

Although Boateng was late, it appeared a genuine clash of heads and as both men lay prostrate, Probert’s reach for the red sparked mass remonstrations from those in amber shirts. They were to no avail, and after the Dutchman received lengthy treatment, he was dismissed.

Hull’s sense of injustice would have intensified had Nelsen managed to get a telling touch, two yards out, on the stroke of half-time. By that time, Vennegoor of Hesselink had been sacrificed as Brown stiffened his midfield.

While there was debate as to whether Boateng’s trailing arm had struck Pedersen, there was no doubt about the contact made by Paul McShane’s lash at Probert, which greeted a booking for a challenge on Diouf. It was a moment of petulance for which he should have walked.

McShane did exit as part of double substitution designed to give the 10 men more offensive capacity. However, it was Myhill who kept the deficit to only, fisting out a Brett Emerton drive and diverting a point-blank Gael Givet header onto the bar.

Blackburn RoversHull CityPremier LeagueSam AllardycePhil Brownguardian.co.uk

For Wigan and Hull, indifference to the FA Cup has rarely been as embarrassing as it was here, where the former’s home was four-fifths empty. The gate of 5,335 was a depressing palindrome for both clubs.

This was not a match for agoraphobics. Supporters had elbow and leg room in abundance, players a backdrop of almost uninhabited stands. What appeared likely to be one of Saturday’s most entertaining ties generated the day’s second-lowest crowd, which exceeded only the attendance at Torquay United.

Other comparisons were equally unflattering for two members of the Premier League. More than 7,000 fans of non-league Barrow made the 260-mile round trip to Sunderland and the match between League One Southampton and non-league Luton attracted more than three times as many people; even the League Two game between Bradford and Cheltenham enticed a crowd double the size of Wigan’s.

manager, Roberto Martínez, cited the cold weather, treacherous conditions and the cost of following a team. Tickets were priced at £15 for adults but Football Association rules prohibited entry for less. Their victory brought Wigan £67,500 in prize money and potential fixture congestion. Survival in the Premier League can be worth anything up to £60m. The mathematics explain why the two managers made a combined total of 13 changes.

If all the world is a stage, a player without an audience is effectively in a dress rehearsal. As Hull’s beleaguered second-string can testify, Charles N’Zogbia is indeed a player – a world-class one, according to Martínez – but too few people were here to appreciate his talents.

That may change. Despite the meagre crowd, there were a dozen scouts on the guest list at the DW Stadium. The question now may be when, not if, the Frenchman is recruited by a larger club. Martínez made a tacit admission that it could happen in the summer.

He said: “I have no doubt Charlie is going to go to the top of world football, but the timing has to be right for Wigan Athletic. This is probably the first campaign in which he has been consistent and a real threat in every game. I think he knows he can carry on developing here over the next four months.”

brought N’Zogbia on at half-time. Within two minutes he had scored and within 21 he had transformed the game with rapid raids into Hull territory, swift distribution and sharp shooting.

N’Zogbia’s two goals were accompanied by a first Wigan goal for the teenaged midfielder James McCarthy and one for the winger Scott Sinclair.

“To concede three and four was unacceptable,” Hull’s manager, Phil Brown, said.

His attempts to dispose of fringe players was not helped by their capitulation. He added: “It is a difficult time financially for the football club. I will be doing everything I can to strengthen in terms of quality coming in as opposed to the numbers going out.” He was contrite towards the travelling fans; at least the lack of them made the apologies easier.

FA CupWigan AthleticHull CityRichard Jollyguardian.co.uk