FRANK Clark's face was a picture - of misery and bewilderment.

He looked as though Noel Edmonds had just popped up to shout "Gotcha!"

"It was an astounding game," said the Forest boss.

And, just to keep everyone happy, he added the obligatory: "I'm glad we only have to play Blackburn twice a year."

Well, considering Rovers won the first game at Ewood 7-0 and followed it with their record away victory in the Premier League, he wasn't left with much choice!

While Clark was rendered almost speechless, but not quite, Rovers manager Ray Harford produced a broad grin when the opening inquiry was hurled at him in the aftermath of yet another not-so-close encounter between the clubs.

"I just knew that would be the first question," he laughed after being asked if he would like to play Forest every week.

And then added cheekily: "I wouldn't mind!"

It was that sort of day.

If a certain fizzy drink is the real thing, this was all sort of unreal. Clark got it right in one sense.

Even my Nottingham counterpart muttered at half time: "Twenty two and counting . . . " which was his reference to the quite remarkable fact that, at that stage, in five and a half Premier League meetings between these teams, Rovers had scored 22 goals.

By the end it was 24 from six and they have, not surprisingly, won every one.

The more cynical or sarcastic among our English readers will be thinking that Mark Crossley's chances of becoming a Scottish goalkeeper in time for Euro 96 increased dramatically on Saturday!

But he must be sick of the sight of the Rovers attack.

Mind you, with a defence like the one he had in front of him at the City Ground, it's little wonder that he has such a woeful record in these matches.

The big difference between the teams was that Rovers were Ruthless, with a capital R - at both ends of the pitch.

Colin Hendry, pictured top right, scarcely put a foot, or head wrong, as Forest enjoyed the better of the territorial play until they capitulated under an avalanche of goals.

And, at the other end, Rovers produced the sort of clinical finishing that made a mockery of their season's previous goal tally away from Ewood. That record has now been suitably amended.

Until they lapsed into complete disarray, Forest didn't look like a side on course for humiliation.

But they soon looked like a bus in the rush hour - too many passengers.

Their so-called strike force of Jason Lee and Kevin Campbell was pathetic, despite a decent service from the flanks where Steve Stone and Ian Woan were a threat to be handled with care.

And, at the back, their defenders were never there when Forest needed them most - a similar story ever since these teams first met in the Premier League.

For Rovers there were some real individual successes, as well as a collective triumph, after what I must say was a dismal start.

Hendry was outstanding, in a generally solid back four.

In midfield, Billy McKinlay seemed to revel in this type of battle and capped his performance with a first Rovers goal, slightly deflected it looked off Stuart Ripley.

Sorry Stuart, I don't think you can end the goal drought with that one. The wingers, Ripley and Jason Wilcox, were back at full throttle which means so much to the side, and Mike Newell does two shifts where everyone else does one.

True, he did give the ball away too much for comfort but he wasn't on his own in that and he did have it so often. His workrate wouldn't go amiss in a Far-East sweatshop. It was unbelievable really and contributed so much to the team effort, as colleagues pointed out.

It certainly helps Alan Shearer to thrive and one goal for himself plus an important share in three others speaks for itself.

But what a strange game. For almost half an hour, I must admit I feared the worst.

The passing was not good to say the least. Two players had been booked for fouling Stone and, while Forest had not created all that much danger, they definitely looked the liklier side.

But then, on a lovely Spring afternoon, it started raining - goals.

Shearer, fed by Newell, beats a crazy offside attempt - on the halfway line would you believe - and heads for goal.

Charging into the penalty area, with a possee of defenders in hot pursuit, he retains his composure to strike the ball decisively into the far corner, with his left foot!

Four minutes later, Rovers fans are delerious, Forest's furious. Tim Sherwood makes a tackle on Alf Haaland.

While Forest want a foul, Rovers break with Jeff Kenna finding Wilcox who runs half the length of the pitch before setting up McKinlay outside the box. His shot skips off Ripley and leaves Crossley leaden-footed.

Forest hit back, with Woan, looking suspiciously offside, taking a pass from Chris Bart-Williams and, somehow, beating Tim Flowers from the narrowest of angles with a low drive.

On the stroke of half time, Henning Berg sends Shearer down the right and his perfect cross is met by Wilcox's head with Forest's central defenders absent without leave.

After a quiet start to the second half, Rovers claim a fourth when Graham Fenton, on for less than a minute, makes an important contribution. He wins the ball, takes a return from Ripley and crosses low into the box where Shearer cunningly dummies the defence to allow Wilcox to take it in his stride and tuck the ball home low into the corner.

Forest, having missed a great chance through Campbell, are in despair as Ripley knocks the ball forward for Shearer to head down perfectly into the path of Fenton.

He coasts round the keeper and, almost casually, taps it into the net before executing an extravagant forward roll of celebration before the Rovers fans. Why not.

By this stage, Forest were doing a passable imitation of Frank Bruno on the ropes and only the final whistle put them out of their misery.

Their interval fury was aimed at the referee.

In fairness, he did seem to miss a foul on Lee in the build-up to one of the first-half goals.

But, when the Forest striker himself commits a foul in virtually every challenge he makes, he can scarcely go running to the official when it goes the other way.

It was Rovers' ruthlessness of old that won this game, and won it so handsomely.

I have seen them play better than this but they really were clinical when it counted.

Oh, and by the way, don't put those passports away just yet.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.