I thought it was total domination

Last updated : 22 February 2014 By Tony Scholes

Those three first half goals led to Davies and his Forest team, unbeaten in fourteen games, being booed off at half time and after the game he said: "In the first half we played against a side that looked like promotion contenders.

"They bossed us all over the pitch and we gave away three soft goals with some silly mistakes at the back.

"We knew what to expect coming to Burnley but the players did not heed the warnings we gave to them. We didn't play anywhere near well enough to contend with them in the first half and we got what we deserved.

"Second half was much better and much more like us. We hit the bar, had two efforts cleared off the line and scored late on. That showed what we are capable of.

"The week's rest will not be massively important to us. Andy Reid missed today with a calf strain while Radi Majewski has had family problems back in Poland. Hopefully we'll get some lads back for next weekend and we'll go again."

Davies added: "They got us at the best possible time. That is not taking any credit away from them because in the first 45 minutes their team competed, worked and battled much better than we did.

"We had a certain game plan before the game. To come to Burnley you have to play a certain way. You have to prepare to face a certain type of game and unfortunately for the first 45 minutes they didn't listen.

"They play a very direct game that puts you under pressure and quite simply we never handled t. We didn't do what is necessary against this type of team. We had better success second half because we changed our game. We were more aggressive, we were more energetic, but it was too little, too late."

Dyche must have been delighted with that first half performance. He said: "As a manager you never get that perfect half, but that first 45 minutes is certainly as good as I've seen from our group.

"Some of the football was absolutely first class. We have a belief in the team and you saw today that at times we were majestic in the first half.

"You can play good football, but it has to penetrate an do the job it's meant for and we scored three and it could have been more. I thought it was total domination. Our passing and movement was exceptional, we played through the units quickly and we hurt them in so many ways.

"When you are coming up against a strong Nottingham Forest side full of quality players and with massive resources, expectation and finance, that only adds to a fine performance.

"We have seen signs of that first half many times this year, but to dominate so powerfully for 45 minutes is rare in any game. We were playing a very good side, but we always looked like we were going to score a goal, so there were so many good things today."

He added: "Goalscorers often get the headlines, but to a man they delivered today. Once you are 3-0 up it turns into a different game and in the second half, as teams with nothing to lose do, they were raining balls into our box from every area of the pitch.

"Tom had to make one big save but I never really thought we looked in trouble and could have had more on the break.

"We have set that mantra of one game at a time, so we get prepared for next week and Derby. At this stage of the season, points from wherever you can get them are valuable, but we are on another good run and looking forward to the next one."