Brazilian forward Junior issued a timely reminder of his quality to Derby manager George Burley by firing his side into the fourth round of the FA Cup at Wigan's expense.

Junior, who has just returned from a loan spell at bottom-of-the-Championship Rotherham, netted the winner 14 minutes after coming on as a substitute - his first goal for the Rams since last April.

Junior's future has been cast into doubt by Burley's eagerness to sign a central defender.

But his goal put the Rams into Monday's fourth-round draw while Wigan's woeful FA Cup record continues as they have now failed to progress past the third round for 18 years.

Alan Mahon's strike on the half-hour mark gave Wigan an undeserved half-time lead but Inigo Idiakez struck a beautiful free-kick 20 minutes from time before Junior added a bit of Brazilian magic.

Danish midfielder Morten Bisgaard, still looking for his first goal for the club, nearly gave Derby an eighth-minute lead but he was denied by a good save from goalkeeper John Filan.

The Rams continued to have the better of the opening exchanges and went close to scoring again in the 16th minute. A corner by Idiakez was met by Marcus Tudgay, without a goal in nine games, but Filan punched his header away to safety.

Wigan, who have bounced back from a run of three successive defeats by winning their last two, finally threatened in the 29th minute with Jason Roberts, who scored in his side's Boxing Day defeat at home to the Rams, having a header saved by Lee Camp.

The Latics went ahead a minute later when Dubliner Mahon, restored to the starting line-up in one of five changes made by manager Paul Jewell, drove a crisp shot past Camp from the edge of the box for his sixth goal of the season.

Derby had a good opportunity to restore parity 10 minutes before the break, but Ian Taylor could not direct his header from close range on target while Roberts screwed a shot wide at the other end.

Michael Flynn nearly sent Wigan in at the break two up, but his header was well kept out by Camp.

Gary Teale put an early chance over for Wigan early in the second half as goalmouth action continued to be sparse.

However, Gareth Whalley finally forced a goalkeeper into a save when his well-struck shot from 25 yards was clutched by Camp in the 65th minute.

Derby levelled, though, with 20 minutes remaining through Idiakez - his first goal since late August.

Emerson Thome was penalised for a foul on Tommy Smith and the Spaniard curled home the free-kick into the top corner from 25 yards.

Junior then fired the home side into the lead for the first time before Camp made a fantastic save to deny Thome.

Ian Breckin then put a header over the bar and Jimmy Bullard was thwarted by Camp at the death as Wigan's hopes of salvaging a replay ended.

Teams

Derby Camp, Boertien, Huddlestone, Mills, Jackson, Reich, Idiakez, Taylor, Bisgaard, Smith (Bolder 84), Tudgay (Junior 67).

Subs Not Used: Grant, Kenna, Doyle.

Booked: Boertien.

Goals: Idiakez 71, Junior 79.

Wigan Filan, McMillan, Jackson (Breckin 67), Thome, Wright, Mahon, Whalley (Bullard 84), Flynn, Teale, Graham, Roberts.

Subs Not Used: Walsh, Eaden, Baines.

Booked: Jackson, Wright, Roberts.

Goals: Mahon 30.

Att: 14,457

Ref: K Wright (Cambridgeshire).