Morten Gamst Pedersen scored his third goal in six matches to give Blackburn the half-time edge in their Lancashire derby with Wigan at Ewood Park.

A mistake from on-loan goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic allowed the Norwegian to thunder home a 20-yard shot into an unguarded net in the 20th minute.

Wigan then pressed forward in search of an equaliser for the rest of the half and, although Rovers goalkeeper Paul Robinson was kept busy, he was never stretched into a top-drawer save.