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Tottenham Hotspur reached the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 3-1 win at home to Wigan thanks to a Roman Pavlyuchenko brace and Luka Modric header.

Spurs made sure of their triumph in the evening encounter at White Hart Lane after Henri Camara scored an 88th-minute consolation for the Latics, Pavlyuchenko smashing inside the near post in injury time to add to his earlier penalty.

After a goalless first half Spurs substitute Fraizer Campbell was brought down by Wigan reserve goalkeeper Richard Kingson, who was sent the wrong way by the Russian striker.

Modric then reacted quickest after Jamie O'Hara's strike from outside the box came off the inside of the post.

Wigan had looked the better side in the opening period and will count themselves unlucky to have gone out. Their midfield and strikers - minus Amr Zaki and Emile Heskey - were full of tenacity and speed on the counter-attack as Spurs tried to unlock their defence through excellent Croatian Modric.

He featured in central midfield behind two strikers, Darren Bent initially partnering Pavlyuchenko before a first-half injury forced Harry Redknapp to replace the England man with Campbell. Modric missed a good chance to score after only seven minutes as David Bentley asked for the ball on the right side of the penalty area.

Spurs winger Bentley struggled to beat the defender at the near post with many of his crosses, his fortunes contrasting with the effective wide men Antonio Valencia and Wilson Palacios at the other end.

Camara should have scored from Wigan's best chance in the first 45 minutes, nodding a pin-point Palacios cross just wide moments before Modric's effort, while Olivier Kapo proved a good foil for the lightning-fast striker.

Six minutes after the break Spurs won the chance to take the lead when Gareth Bale, who was always looking to attack as a left wing-back, surged forward and fed a ball through for nippy frontman Campbell.

The Manchester United man, on loan for the season, got there just ahead of debutant Kingson - preferred to Mike Pollitt after Chris Kirkland's injury - and was brought down by a swiping hand. The goalkeeper was only shown a yellow card as Campbell was heading away from goal.

Pavlyuchenko sent the Ghana international the wrong way from the spot, the ball creeping just inside the post.

Kingson immediately pulled off a stunning point-blank save to deny Campbell after an accurate cross by Pavlyuchenko, who in the following minutes lobbed him just wide of the post before seeing two shots saved and another chance thwarted by a last-ditch Paul Scharner tackle.

Scharner should have hit the target with a free header inside the box for Wigan and the game looked over when O'Hara's crisp half-volley cannoned back to Modric, who finished into the open goal from nine yards.

Visiting boss Steve Bruce was unhappy that play had continued after Spurs broke when Maynor Figueroa lay hurt in the home penalty box.

Gomes saved a Figueroa shot as Wigan reawakened late on; Camara's finish set up a nervy final few minutes, but Didier Zokora's run took the defender away from the advancing Pavlyuchenko three minutes into time added on - and he fired past Kingson from 25 yards to set Spurs' minds at rest.

Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport