Bradley Johnson had scored twice in 30 matches before finding the net in back-to-back games
Derby County made it five straight wins as they withstood a second-half onslaught from Wigan Athletic.
Bradley Johnson rose well to head Tom Ince's free-kick into the far corner for his second goal in as many games.
Johnny Russell almost made it two, hitting the post from a tight angle after pouncing on a poor backpass.
The Latics piled on the pressure after the break, but Max Power spurned their best chance, heading against the bar when unmarked.
The game matched the Championship's joint-lowest scorers, and Derby's winner came with their only shot on target.
The Latics forced a string of corners amid mounting pressure, but could not break through against the Championship's second-meanest defence.
Power and Dutch striker Yanic Wildschut forced good saves from Rams keeper Scott Carson who kept his seventh clean sheet in 10 matches.
Derby have picked up 19 points from a possible 24 since Steve McClaren's return as manager and moved within a point of the play-off places in eighth, while Wigan, without a win in four home games, slipped to second-bottom.
Wigan manager Warren Joyce:
"We're obviously disappointed to lose the game. I thought in the first half we had a lot of possession without a lot of purpose in our play.
"We lost possession ourselves on the halfway line which leads to the free-kick, and a really soft, basic error means we're 1-0 down.
"The players did exactly what we talked about at half-time to stay in the game and I thought for half-an-hour during that period we deserved a goal."
Derby boss Steve McClaren:
"We had a great start and for some reason we kind of took our foot off the pedal when we needed to go up.
"We knew this would be a difficult place to come, and when we didn't manage to get the second goal the last 10 to 15 minutes were always going to be a bit nervy.
"You're not going to play well every week and it's getting to a time - December, January, February - where you have to grind out results."
