Two goals from Deon Burton helped Derby avoid a potential FA Cup banana-skin at Plymouth.

The Rams marksman scored a goal in each half to add to a Stefano Eranio penalty and ease Jim Smith's Premiership outfit into the fourth round.

Derby could even afford the luxury of a missed spot-kick from Eranio, who hit the post with his second effort from 12 yards after half-time.

Third Division Plymouth battled hard and forced 16 corners as they heaped pressure on the visitors but they couldn't penetrate a well-organised Derby back-line to taste FA Cup glory.

The Pilgrims beat Derby in a sixth round replay in 1984 to earn the club a memorable semi-final appearance.

Argyle boss Kevin Hodges played in that win but their was no fairytale repeat for the south coast club against their cosmopolitan opponents.

Even when they did find a way through the defence they met a goalkeeper in prime form.

Mart Poom kept Argyle at bay and produced a crucial double-save late in the first half with the score at 2-0.

Derby struck twice in the opening period to deflate the home crowd who had flocked to Home Park hoping to see their side produce a giant-killing.

The Pilgrims started confidently, knocking the ball around and creating problems for Smith's Premiership defenders, but two goals in six minutes put the visitors firmly in the driving seat.

Jean and Martin Barlow both threatened Poom's goal in the opening exchanges but, when the Rams found the net in the 15th minute, it knocked some of the stuffing out the home team.

The pacy Dean Sturridge burst clear down the right and found his strike-partner Burton with a pin-point cross. The Jamaican international accepted the simplest of chances to nod past Jon Sheffield.

Within minutes the lead had doubled and it was Sturridge again unlocking the defence.

He latched onto a long pass from Jacob Laursen and into the Plymouth area where defender Paul Wotton could only haul him to the ground.

Referee Eddie Wolstenholme pointed to the spot and Eranio tucked the spot-kick into the bottom corner.

Argyle refused to lie down and fought back to give Poom an uncomfortable few minutes before half-time.

He missed a through-ball from Jean to give Phillips a glimpse of goal from a narrow angle but the Plymouth striker couldn't find the net and the Rams defence regrouped to clear the danger.

The big Estonian keeper then pulled off his breath-taking double-save.

First he parried Wotton's ferocious 25-yard free-kick and then he somehow clung onto the Jean's point-blank follow-up which looked destined for the net.

Eranio wasted a golden chance to seal the game after the break. Wotton gave away the second penalty on an eventful afternoon's work when he seemed to needlessly handball a left-wing cross from Derby sub Jonathon Hunt.

Derby's Italian again stepped up. This time he went to Sheffield's left and sent the keeper the wrong way only to see his effort hit the post and bounce back into the goalmouth before it was scrambled away by Plymouth.

Argyle continued to battle hard and forced a series of corners but Derby's well-organised defence kept the spirited Third Division battlers at bay to secure their ticket into the fourth round draw.

Teams:

Plymouth: Sheffield, Ashton, Beswetherick (McCall 67), Mauge, Heathcote, Wotton, Barlow, Hargreaves, McCarthy, Jean, Phillips (Marshall 67).

Subs Not Used: Dungey, Sweeney, Bastow.

Booked: Ashton, Wotton, Mauge.

Derby: Poom, Carbonari, Elliott, Prior, Kozluk, Laursen, Bohinen (Hunt 46), Carsley, Eranio (Harper 79), Sturridge, Burton.

Subs Not Used: Hoult, Launders, Bridge-Wilkinson.

Booked: Burton, Hunt.

Goals: Burton 15, Eranio 21 pen, Burton 82.

Att: 16,730

Ref: E Wolstenholme (Blackburn).