Santa bags a hat-trick but it's Wigan who go away with an early Christmas gift

It was more Santa Flaws than Santa Cruz as Rovers undid their star striker's good work by gift-wrapping Wigan five golden goals.

Struggling Wigan shot into a 3-0 lead before Paraguayan striker Santa Cruz had appeared to ride to Hughes's rescue with his first hat-trick since arriving in England in the summer.

But having fought their way back to 3-3, despite having Brett Emerson sent off, Blackburn could barely believe it when Marcus Bent struck twice for Wigan — and now what Hughes wants for Christmas is the return of his watertight defence.

Blackburn have conceded 15 goals in six games and plummeted down the Premier League. Hughes said: "The first half was unacceptable. Defensively we were all over the place. We showed real determination to get back into a game that should have been beyond us."

Wigan had lost England striker Emile Heskey on a stretcher, with what could be a broken ankle, and Steve Bruce admitted he feared the worst.

"But we didn't surrender and Marcus Bent was fantastic," said the manager, who was recruited from Birmingham to keep Wigan up. "He will have to be again because it looks as if we'll be without Emile for a few weeks at least. His injury has taken the gloss of our first win for three months."

Wigan remain in the bottom three, but they moved six points clear of basement club Derby, who lost a seventh successive league game, at home to Middlesbrough. They are nine points off safety, with manager Paul Jewell still seeking his first tangible reward after three games in charge.

Another defeat at Newcastle next weekend would equal the club's worst losing run before they face Liverpool at Pride Park on Boxing Day.

"The players are giving their best but we've not got enough quality in certain areas and the table proves that," said Jewell. "I didn't come into this job with my eyes closed and always knew it was going to be tough from day one.

"I can promise we will not go down without a fight. But I am a realist.We know it will take a remarkable upturn in form if we are to get ourselves out of trouble."