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    Football - Duff wants spark back

    Michael Duff concedes Burnley are still striving to find the right balance between attack and defence.

    The experienced centre-back returned from a calf problem as the Clarets suffered a 1-0 defeat to Hull at Turf Moor on Monday night - the fourth time they have drawn a blank in the past six matches.

    It is a slump far removed from their free-scoring early season form, when Charlie Austin briefly rubbed shoulders with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo among Europe's top marksmen.

    Sean Dyche has instilled some much-needed defensive solidity since replacing Bournemouth-bound Eddie Howe as manager, but Duff would like to see the spark rediscovered ahead of Sunday's derby clash at Blackburn

    "We scored a lot at the start of the season because everything Charlie hit went in," he said.

    "Charlie had a vein of form where he didn't even have to look at the goal - it would come off his heel and go into the net.

    "But we were conceding too many goals and that's the fine balance. You get teams who score a lot and concede a lot or teams that nick games 1-0.

    "It is trying to get that balance. From the defenders' point of view we don't look like conceding many goals.

    "The goals have dried up a little bit and maybe more of the chances have dried up, which is the more worrying little thing, but, again, a lot of it's (down to) confidence.

    "We've got a lot of good players and we just need to get them on the ball a little bit more."

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