Liverpool ended their horror away run with a one-sided win over Wigan at the JJB Stadium. All the damage was done before halftime, with Craig Bellamy . . .

cleared of assault charges on Wednesday . . . scoring the opening two goals. Bellamy set up Dirk Kuyt for a third before Lee McCulloch turned a fourth into his own net.

The Welsh striker was chomping at the bit from the start as within minutes he was stopped in his tracks by a ridiculously late offside flag.

But any frustration Bellamy may have felt at being denied a clear sight at goal . . .

not to mention his travails over the past few weeks . . .

was extinguished after eight minutes when he raced on to John Arne Riise's long punt.

After shrugging off Matt Jackson, Bellamy continued his run and beat Kirkland with a neat finish, the first Premiership goal Liverpool have scored in open play away from Anfield this season.

Minutes later Wigan had a penalty appeal turned down when Jamie Carragher barged into Emile Heskey.

Instead, all the hosts got was a corner, which only brought them more anger as Heskey was harshly cautioned for charging into Steven Gerrard.

The hosts were starting to get back into the game only for Liverpool to hit them with a sucker punch after 25 minutes as Bellamy bagged a second.

Once more, Wigan were the architects of their own downfall with first Boyce, then Josip Skoko failing to clear, offering the chance for Gerrard to prod the ball into the Latics box. Bellamy needed no second invitation, finishing this chance as clinically as he had done the first.

Wigan desperately needed some inspiration and they almost got it too as Paul Scharner rose to meet Boyce's cross with a powerful header. Jose Reina made a fine save but McCulloch should still have buried the rebound instead of firing his volley over.

Reina was Liverpool's hero again shortly afterwards as he raced out to block Heskey from close range. Once more the loose ball fell to a Wigan man but Camara had no more success in finding the visitors' net than McCulloch.

Camara forced Reina into another low stop but it was not long before Liverpool had a third, Gerrard superbly taking down Garcia's crossfield pass, then feeding Bellamy.

The striker could have gone for his hat-trick, instead he squared to Kuyt, who could not miss.

Worse was to come for Wigan in the final minute of the half as Gerrard's low cross created panic and McCulloch ended up turning the ball into his own net.

It was hardly a surprise when Latics boss Paul Jewell made a couple of changes at the break, introducing David Cotterill and David Wright for Kilbane and Jackson, neither of whom had made much of an impact.

Kirkland made a solid stop to deny Riise as Liverpool signalled their intention not to sit on an already handsome lead.

Baines kept his nerve to nod Riise's cross back to Kirkland as Kuyt steamed in behind him.

Scharner thought he had pulled one back for the hosts when he nodded home Skoko's free-kick, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.

Wigan tried hard but it was Liverpool who came closest to getting another when Steve Finnan flashed an angled drive just wide.

Bellamy was booked after a clash with Hall and his eventful afternoon continued as a couple of debatable offside decisions went against him as he searched for a third.

Just to sum up how badly Wigan's luck was out, Heskey struck a post, then the rebound came flying out too quickly for Cotterill to turn it in.

Wright ballooned over in the final minute as Wigan's sorry afternoon came to a predictably miserable conclusion.