Former boss Paul Jewell left the JJB Stadium empty handed after second half goals by Paul Scharner and Antonio Valencia seal comfortable win.

Latics were left frustrated after a goalless first half which saw the ball cross the line unnoticed by referee Alan Wiley and his assistants but thankfully the final result meant the it didn't matter at all.

Scharner broke the deadlock on the hour as he scrambled home the loose ball from a Kevin Kilbane corner after Emile Heskey's initial header was parried Roy Carroll at the near post.

Then Valencia eased late nerves with a superb finish of his own with six minutes remaining. Wilson Palacios played a one-two with Heskey before a brilliant cross to the unmarked Ecuadorian winger, who took is time, picked his spot, and blasted the ball into the roof of the net.

Latics had most of the pressure throughout the match against the bottom-of-the-table team, but in credit to the visitors they defended well at the back blocking most of Wigan's crosses and corners, especially in the second half.

Steve Bruce must have feared it wasn't going to be his day though when Latics scored a clear goal, only for it to go unnoticed by the officials. In the 24th minute the ball had crossed the line despite Giles Barnes' clearance after Mario Melchiot's clever backheeled shot from a goalmouth scramble.

The assistant referee also gave Latics a disadvantage two minutes before half-time Marlon King was adjudged to be offside as he was put through on goal by Heskey, but television replays showed he was on.

Swedish defender Erik Edman was handed his debut by Bruce, and he replaced Ryan Taylor which was the only change in the starting eleven. The former Spurs defender made a solid start to his Latics career at left-back whilst Kilbane moved to the left-wing.

After a slow start by both teams, Latics did ease themselves into the more dominant side as they bombarded the Rams penalty area with crosses and corners. Mario Melchiot's cross in the 13th minute from the right-flank found the hard-working Kilbane, whose diving header was saved at the near post by Carroll.

Wigan continued to threaten with a fluid counter attack just after the half-hour and again it was Melchiot who was involved. He passed to Valencia who squared the ball back across the box towards Kilbane at the far post, but Derby defender Dean Leacock got in the way and cleared for a corner.

Heskey will be disappointed not to have got on the scoresheet himself two minutes before the break as Kilbane stole the ball from Savage and ran into the box before crossing to England international, but his shot didn't have enough conviction and it was an easy save for Carroll.

Once Latics got on the scoresheet they became more comfortable and were almost handed a second goal on a plate as defender Darren Moore almost scored an own goal as he hastily put Valencia's cross just wide of the near post. Melchiot also went close himself on 80 minutes when he headed wide of the far post from a corner.

Scharner appealed for a penalty in the 74th minute as he fell inside the penalty area whilst under pressure from Craig Fagan but referee Wiley was not interested.

Derby had two chances through Stephen Pearson who shot wide and also skewed a shot past the target in the first half. Emanuel Villa's overhead kick forced Chris Kirkland into a diving save on half-way through the second half, and the Rams were also denied a consolation goal as Edman bravely blocked a Giles Barnes shot in the last two minutes.

Latics were the better team by some margin, and the result lifts the club into 14th postion in the Barclays Premier League and four points above the relegation zone. It also continues Wigan's record of achieving at least one double for every season since the club entered the Football League.

LATICS: Kirkland; Melchiot (c), Bramble, Boyce, Edman (Koumas 90); Valencia, Scharner, Palacios, Kilbane; King (Siberski 85), Heskey (Bent 89).

SUBS: Pollitt, Bramble.

BOOKINGS: None.

GOALS: Scharner 60, Valencia 84.

DERBY: Carroll; McEvelly, Leacock (Todd 46), Moore, Stubbs; Fagan, Barnes, Savage (c), Ghaly, Pearson; Miller.

SUBS: Price, Lewis, Villa, Sterjovski.

BOOKINGS: Fagan.

REFEREE: Alan Wiley

ATTENDANCE: 20,176