UPBEAT Burnley boss Owen Coyle wants his potential match-winners to take their “top game” to Nottingham Forest on Saturday to help the Clarets to their first Championship victory of the season.

Burnley stopped the rot following a losing start to the campaign by drawing their last two league games ahead of the international break – as well as beating Oldham in the Carling Cup to set up a crack against Premier League outfit Fulham.

But after failing to score in the Championship since the opening day of the season, Coyle wants to turn one point into three – starting the County Ground.

He said: “From the last week we should have been sitting with six points, as well as a big cup tie to work up to.

“We can take great heart from three clean sheets and with an added cutting edge we can build on that.

“We have got players who can create and score goals and we are looking to them to bring their top game.

“If we continue to keep it tight at the back then we should be winning games two and three-nil.”

Following the fortnight’s lull in action, Burnley kick-off a potentially crucial spell of six games in 17 days at Forest as they look to pull away from the foot of the table and make further progress in the cup.

Coyle added: “In the Championship if you win a couple of games back-to-back you push up the table and if you don’t you stay still.

“Ideally you would have a full squad for the fortnight of the international break but hopefully the lads here will feel a bit refreshed and you are hoping that the ones playing internationals don’t get injured.

“We would have loved a game last Saturday but we have an opportunity at Nottingham Forest and we will be going there with great heart.

“We are very positive about how we are setting about things. We know we have got a team to win games.”

Coyle will be without the suspended Chris Eagles at Forest as the former Manchester United man starts a three-match ban for his sending-off in the stalemate with Plymouth Argyle.

But he does have an extra attacking option in the shape of striker Steven Thompson following his deadline beating signing from Cardiff City.

And provided Martin Paterson comes through Northern Ireland’s World Cup qualifier against the Czech Republic tonight unscathed, Thompson is likely to partner the Clarets leading scorer in a little-and-large combination after finding his feet at Turf Moor.

“Most of the lads know him so it has not taken him long to settle in and he is working hard in training,” said Coyle.

Forest, who have won one of their opening four league games since clinching promotion back to the Championship, could include former Clarets loanee Andy Cole.

The ex-Blackburn Rovers and England striker has been limited to just three substitute’s appearances for his hometown club since signing from Sunderland in the summer.

But Cole, 36, who scored six times in 13 appearances for Burnley at the end of last season, played in a specially arranged friendly against Crewe yesterday to improve his match fitness following a calf strain.