Howe hails Rodriguez

Rodriguez, once under Cotterill's tutelage at Turf Moor, headed the opener on three minutes following Kieran Trippier's cross.

The young hitman missed a penalty after the break but made amends with an identical header on 64 minutes, Trippier once more with the assist.

Afterwards Howe had nothing but praise for his free-scoring frontman, who brought his tally to 16 in all competitions this season, firing the Clarets to an eighth win in their last 11 league outings in the process.

The Burnley boss said: "It was a great start but I think we started both halves really well. We scored a great first goal after a great cross from 'Tripps'.

"The second goal was really similar and there were two great finishes from Rodriguez.

"His all-round performance I thought was excellent and he just continues to get better and better."

He added: "Defensively we look really strong and solid and I can't speak highly enough of the players' mentality.

"It's never an easy game here and tonight was no different.

"We didn't let the penalty faze us, then we got the second goal and it was game over."

Higginbotham boost

After the defeat, it emerged that Forest boss Cotterill had secured the loan signings of Stoke defender Higginbotham and Manchester United starlet Scott Wootton until the end of the season.

Cotterill is hoping they can boost his side following a sixth straight defeat in the Championship.

"Difficult times at the moment, very difficult times," said the Reds boss.

"It's very difficult when you have to have a makeshift back four, and to get off to that sort of start makes it an uphill battle.

"Jay Rodriguez is a young boy who I know very, very well, and he is very, very good in the box.

"Now we've got a couple of loan signings we can bring in.

"One's a good young player and Danny Higginbotham will come in with good experience and good leadership skills. So the team's going to change around again.

"With Adlene Guedioura and Greg Cunningham coming in too that doesn't leave us any more loans.

"We needed this two months ago but we didn't have the money. That's what's made it a prolonged and painful time.

"We haven't had our noses in front for a long time and that is a big thing in this league."