Laws relieved with winning start

Burnley manager Brian Laws was happy his side were able to rediscover the winning habit as they edged past Nottingham Forest 1-0 on the opening day of the npower Championship season.

After dropping out of the Premier League last season, question marks had been raised of the Clarets' ability to bounce straight back this season. But Chris Iwelumo's first-half goal helped them to do so at the expense of last season's play-off semi-finalists.

"I am just delighted we found the ability to close the game out. Once we scored the goal we dug in with a mentality that we didn't have last season," Laws said.

"That is exactly what I have signed Chris Iwelumo to do. If you put quality into the box like he showed you he will get on the end of it and he will be a right handful in this division.

"It was a tough call to start Iwelumo instead of Steven Thompson and sometimes as a manager you get it right so I will take it as one for me.

"The pitch didn't help either side. There is work going on to improve it and it will be right by our next home game."

Forest manager Billy Davies was adamant that his side deserved to come away from Turf Moor with one, if not all of the points.

He said: "There is no doubt in my mind that we should have won the match and scored quite a number of goals.

"I have been here with many of my different clubs and never had a team perform as well as that against a side who were in the Premier League last season.

"Rob Earnshaw was quality throughout. He hit the post and with a bit of luck and on another day that goes in. My only disappointment was the soft goal by which we lost at the end."