ROBERT Earnshaw believes sharper finishing has helped Nottingham Forest discover the winning habit.

The Reds striker insists the team were always close to finding the formula for success in the Championship.

But he feels the ruthless manner in which they have taken their chances in the last four matches has been the key to their emphatic revival.

And he hopes their confidence will give them the edge when they travel to fierce rivals Derby County in the FA Cup tomorrow.

"We have had probably two-and-a-half months where we had been doing well but not getting the wins," said Earnshaw, who has scored four goals in four matches.

"In the last couple of weeks we have been doing well and getting the results as well.

"We were always on the verge of that. We were always close to winning games but often didn't.

"The biggest thing is that we have scored first in every game and the chances have gone in when we have created them.

"When you are winning matches it obviously gives you a lift as a team, and there is a confidence about everyone at the minute."

Earnshaw, who played under Billy Davies at Derby, said the new Reds boss has so far employed a similar approach at Forest to the one he adopted at Pride Park.

"He sees what he needs to do to improve things," he said.

"He has come into a different club where different things are going on, and he has had to do what he needs to do to get the set-up right to enable the players to do well.

"He wants us to work as hard as possible and make sure we are hard to beat.

"We are quietly getting to that stage. It is coming together."