OLD BOY Gareth Taylor thanked Burnley fans for a rousing send off, then backed Stan Ternent's men to provide a season of cheer.

Taylor marked his swift Turf Moor return with the third goal in last night's cruel 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

The summer departee showed he still has feelings for his former club by refusing to celebrate his late strike, which condemned the Clarets to a third home league defeat of the season.

But Taylor is convinced better days lie just around the corner for Ternent's troops.

He said: "It goes through your mind scoring against your old club and obviously this was my first start and I wanted to do well for my new club.

"But I was never going to celebrate. I made a promise to myself not to do that. I was only hoping for a good reception and the one I got just blew me away, it really did.

"It was a bit emotional and it just goes to show the relationship I had with the fans here, who I thought were different class."

Taylor added: "I have obviously spoken to a lot of the players here on the phone since I left and they are a great bunch.

"I had some really good times here and I really don't think they will have a problem this season in doing well."

Clarets boss Stan Ternent had "no complaints" at the nature of the defeat, as Burnley put in a gutsy second half display after falling behind to Marlon Harewood's early strike.

He said: "It was a good game and 3-0 looks like a bit of a pasting, when in fact it wasn't that way.

"In the first half I thought they were the better side and we didn't come to terms with the shape.

"I changed that at half time and we did much better up until they scored that second goal.

"We had numerous opportunities and it just wouldn't go in for us, then, when it did Ian Moore was flagged was offside.

"That second goal knocked the wind out of our sails because we were in the ascendancy for 25 minutes.

"But I don't have any complaints. We played well for perhaps half an hour in the second half, but we still have to be more diligent."

Ternent, who reserved special praise for on-loan Bolton striker Delroy Facey, who tormented the Forest back line all night, added: "I'm sure it will get better for us results wise.

"We will dust ourselves down and come out fighting again. We have Bradford here on Saturday and that is a game we could do with winning."