GRAHAM Alexander played down a match-winning performance, insisting it was a team effort that inspired Burnley’s first Championship win of the season.

The Scotland defender scored a stunning free kick and an unstoppable penalty at Nottingham Forest to secure the Clarets’ first three-point haul.

“It’s something that we needed. We’ve been looking for that win in the league and it came at a real tough place against a real good team,” he said.

“(Forest) have got a great home record and to come away with a 2-1 win, everyone had to do their shift - the 14 players who were involved did ever so well.

“We started the season with two really bad defeats, we've turned it round by being hard to beat but we just needed that win to take a step forward, and that's what we've done.

“We had to learn lessons. You can't go on conceding goals like we did do in the first two games. Obviously we came in for a lot of criticism, but we’ve worked hard to turn it round.

“It's not nice but I think we'd have been trying hard even if we hadn't been criticised because no-one likes getting beat 4-1 and 3-0.

“You're going to get it if you have two results like that, but the professional pride kicks in and we've been working ever so hard, even since the start of the season.

“We didn't start the season very well and we were up against it, but hopefully we've turned the corner.”

He added: “It's such a tight division, you can have a good month and really shoot up that league. But it works in a reverse way as well.

“Obviously we've not started well and it's not nice seeing yourself in the bottom three, no matter how early it is in the season.

"We know we've got plenty of games coming up, but we have got a competitive squad and we've got a lot of good players, so hopefully that will see us through the next month and we can pick up a few more wins.”

Alexander's brace was his first for Burnley and the sixth in his career, and the former Luton and Preston North End defender admitted it could not have been better timed as he responded to the disappointment of being left out of the Scotland line-up for their midweek European World Cup qualifier against Iceland in emphatic fashion.

“I was really looking forward to the game after being left out on Wednesday,” he said.

“That's not nice, but it's about the team, and the team got a great result on Wednesday so it keeps us alive in the group.

“I was just buzzing to get back in and play my part in a great win for the club.

“But it's not about sending messages to anyone,” continued Alexander, after being asked whether he thought Scotland manager George Burley would be taking note of his contributions at the City Ground on Saturday.

“I'm doing my best for the players that I play with at Burnley and the manager and the staff. That's all I want to do, I want to prove myself to them and help them as much as I can, like everyone else does in this team. I'm not out to prove a point to anybody.

“I just wanted to get three points and it's good for us that we've done that.

“All I had in my head was to help Burnley win the game, and that's all I'm looking at.

“It took 14 players, because the subs who came on did ever so well as well, and you've got four or five players itching to get in the squad also, and hopefully we can go on from strength to strength.”