The DW was split clean down the middle.
One end was a sea of yellow and black, scarves swaying above raised arms as the travelling supporters embraced a position few had expected them to be in, determined to enjoy every second of it.
The rest of the stadium had fallen subdued, the home crowd still searching for a reaction to something they hadn't quite processed.
The broadcast camera swept across the touchline, and once it did, it found Dawson standing with his arms folded.
The brows of the Wigan manager slightly furrowed, squinting at the pitch.
The man had the expression of rampant thoughts, running through options and not immediately finding the one he wanted.
"We have to be honest," the commentator said, "this is not what anyone was expecting when they sat down for this one. Wolverhampton Wanderers have come to the DW Stadium, and they are almost running away with it."
