ROBBIE Blake has spoke of his frustration at being left out of manager Owen Coyle’s first-team plans – but insists it has made him more determined to fight his way back in.

The Burnley striker hasn’t featured in the starting line-up since the first home game of the season, when he was replaced by Ade Akinbiyi just 55 minutes into the 3-0 defeat to Ipswich.

Finding himself dropped to the bench instigated a dark period for the 32-year-old, who, anticipating increased competition for places this term, worked hard during the close season to get down to what he described as his “fighting weight” after shedding 8lbs.

But Blake is adamant that a break from the club during the international fortnight has helped him to regain his focus, and after earning a decisive penalty at Nottingham Forest at the weekend to record Burnley’s first league win of the season, he is ready to add to boss Coyle’s selection problems.

“It’s been frustrating for me. It was nice to get minutes on the pitch and to contribute as well, which was even more important,” he said.

“It’s all you can do as a sub, hopefully you can come on and do something in the game and make it a problem for the manager to pick the team.

“I've been very frustrated. It's just one of those things, you're not happy not being in the team and you've got to try to get back in the side, and hopefully I can do that soon.

“It’s healthy for the club that we’ve got competition for places, you need people fighting for them but I've been a bit down of late really. My head hadn't been right for about 10 days to two weeks, but I've finally got that right and I'll try to get focused now and back in the side. That's the only way I'm going to do it hopefully.

“I think what helped me was having a break for four or five days away from the club and everything, have a chance to think, and it's purely up to me to get in the side and hopefully I can do that.”

But, ahead of the first Lancashire derby of the season against Blackpool tonight (kick-off 7.45pm), Blake accepts his inclusion wouldn’t be straight forward, given the recent 4-2-3-1 and 4-1-3-2 formations used.

“The way the gaffer's playing at the moment is a different formation to what I'm used to so it's frustrating not playing in positions and stuff, but with the start we've had it's been difficult, and it was back to the drawing board for the gaffer,” he said.

“I think it's shown with the performances and clean sheets, and the win we had on Saturday, that it had to be done.

“We certainly needed the three points, and if we beat Blackpool we're firmly back in the mix.

“It's Saturday-Tuesday for a while now until the next international break in October. But we'd rather play games, and if you're winning games or getting results it's great.

“It's very important in football to get momentum and you only get that by playing well and getting results.

“If we put in a good performance tonight and get three points, that sets us up lovely for Swansea.”

Burnley found themselves in the bottom three before facing Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but three points at the City Ground left them just three points behind sixth place.

“It's the way the league is - you win two or three games you're right back in it and you haven't had a bad start to the season,” continued Blake.

“If we beat Blackpool tonight and Swansea on Saturday then we haven't had a bad start.

“It's early days and there are plenty of games in front of us, and you can only breed confidence by winning games or getting results at tough places, and that's what we have to do.

“The pressure has been growing, and Saturday was a must-win game for us if you look at the start.

“It’s going to be a wide open league again, so it’s vitally important that we win our home games and try to pick up points away.”