Robert Earns his keep for Forest

The decision to spend £2.65m on the striker in the summer was questioned in some quarters but Earnshaw, a regular goalscorer at this level in the past, has proved himself once again and could be the difference between survival and relegation.

"It was huge," he said of the win against Preston.

"That was a test to win two games in a row and it gives the whole team a huge confidence lift."