ROBBIE Blake thought he already had it, supporters were still wondering and Steve Cotterill didn't care either way.

But finally the great debate can be put to bed after the Clarets skipper ended a frustrating wait to 'score' his 100th league goal.

Quiz the statisticians and they will point you in the direction of the record books, which finally confirmed a century of strikes following his crucial sixth minute match-winner.

Ask Blake and he will tell you it's actually 101 following a count-back including a play-off goal at Darlington eight years ago.

Nevertheless, the player himself was pictured holding up a kit with '100' emblazoned on it three weeks ago after scoring against Coventry City at Turf Moor.

But now, after changing his personal routine in the hope of getting back among the goals, at least Blake can finally lay claim to having been there, done it and got the T-shirt!

Boss Cotterill said: "The debate over Robbie's 100th goal has been going on for such a long time - and talk about putting pressure on someone.

"He had his hair cut last week, changed his boots and even drove to the ground a different way!

"It was a great finish by Robbie though and hopefully in a month he will be bald because it means he has kept scoring and had a hair cut every week."

Cock-a-hoop Cotterill will also have enjoyed his weekend for the first time in weeks after gaining a win that put vital breathing space between Burnley and the Championship strugglers.

Nine points is a pretty handy bridge above the drop zone as the half-way point of the season looms, and with the injury situation clearing up slightly, things suddenly look a whole lot rosier.

Naturally, it would only take a few more knocks, or a poor sequence of results to send the nerves fluttering again.

But for now, like Blake, there is at least the rarity of a whole week to reflect on a job well done.

Forest rolled up at Turf Moor on the back of a dismal run that has piled the pressure on Joe Kinnear, Cotterill's former manager at Wimbledon.

And while the post-match drink must have felt all the sweeter for the Clarets chief, he was still looking to be the genial host to his old pal, who kept Cotterill waiting a good 90-minutes while he dished out the mother of all rollockings behind a locked dressing room door.

When the Forest manager emerged, his players had been gagged and he spoke of meeting with his chairman later today in the hope of adding five new faces to his squad this week.

And there, in a nutshell, is evidence of the amazing job Cotterill is performing at Burnley.

Five more players is something he can only dream of as he patches up his troops week after week and sends them out to do battle against some pretty meaty Championship opposition.

So 14th place, level with Leicester City and with the likes of Wolves, Leeds and Forest wallowing below, is something the Burnley boss and his small but resolute squad can be proud of.

And this could turn out to be the biggest three points of the season so far, with Burnley having to survive scares at both ends of the contest before emerging victorious.

Ross Gardner sent a warning shot across the bows in the fifth minute, controlling John McGreal's half-clearance on his knee and then volleying onto the top of Brian Jensen's crossbar from fully 30 yards.

But within a minute came the crucial, match-winning moment. Michael Duff's throw down the right found Lee Roche and from his low cross, Blake nipped in ahead of Wes Morgan and drilled the ball home via the despairing efforts of James Perch.

Sticklers might make a case for an own-goal, but after what Blake has been through in the past 25 days, let's not even go there!

Burnley continued to make the early running, with Jean-Louis Valois thrilling the Turf Moor crowd - if not his manager - with a succession of spins, flicks and tricks.

And Blake missed a golden chance to double the lead on 21 minutes, finding room in the box to anticipate Duff's cross but somehow heading wide from six yards.

Valois then tried one trick too many and, with fatigue setting in following his recent hamstring problems, Ian Moore made a welcome return to action just before the break.

The striker's inclusion on the bench was a genuine surprise, considering he only underwent knee surgery three weeks ago.

But the Lazarus-style recovery was evident as he instantly scampered down the wing chasing a lost cause.

Forest upped the tempo in the second half and Jensen saved superbly with his leg after Marlon King threatened to take advantage of a mix-up between McGreal and Mo Camara.

But Moore came even closer to sealing the points soon after, cutting in from the left and seeing his curler finger-tipped for a corner by Paul Gerrard, even though referee Matt Messias bizarrely signalled for a goal kick.

Jensen then came to Burnley's rescue again, gloving King's daisy-cutter for a corner after he found room for an 18-yard snapshot.

But, after Burnley went to a five-man defence following David Johnson's introduction, the Clarets had their biggest let-off courtesy of another familiar face.

Gareth Taylor had hardly had a touch of note before the desperately disappointing Andy Reid found him unmarked in the area.

Gary Cahill was caught dozing for the only time to play the former Burnley striker onside and it seemed Taylor must score as he stooped to head home.

However, to Turf Moor's relief, he glanced the header the wrong side of the post and Forest's last chance went with it.

FOREST: Gerrard, Perch (Jess 32), Rogers (Robertson 54), Morgan, Dawson, Thompson, Reid, Evans (Johnson 74), Gardner, Taylor, King. Subs not used: Roche, Hjelde.

Goal: Blake 6

Attendance: 11,622

Referee: M Messias. Too inconsistent. 6

Booking: Duffy 70