SHANE Duffy admits he and captain Grant Hanley will have to keep the Championship’s deadliest double act quiet if Blackburn Rovers are to end six years of derby hurt this afternoon.

But the big defender has warned Burnley they will also have their work cut out against the new-look Rovers strike-force that ran another title contender ragged.

Clarets frontmen Andre Gray and Sam Vokes have a league-high 29 goals between them this season.

But Duffy and centre-back partner Hanley will go into the Turf Moor tussle having kept Jordan Rhodes and David Nugent off the scoresheet in Tuesday’s triumph at home to Middlesbrough.

The 2-1 victory has raised hopes that Paul Lambert’s improving side can end Burnley’s 11-game unbeaten Championship run and avenge October’s Ewood Park derby defeat.

That harsh 1-0 loss means you have to go back to March 2010 for the last time Rovers got one over their biggest rivals.

And Duffy said: “We’ve got some momentum and confidence behind us and they’ll know they’ll be in for a game.

“They’ll also know they were quite fortunate to come away from our place with all three points.

“But to get them on Saturday we’re going to have to play as well as we did against Middlesbrough and defend well against two more top quality strikers.

“If it’s me alongside Grant then hopefully we will keep them quiet.”

Middlesbrough were not able to keep Danny Graham and Tony Watt quiet in the win that hauled Rovers 11 points clear of the relegation places.

Man-of-the-match Graham scored his second goal for the club while fellow new boy Tony Watt impressed on his return to the team.

Duffy, who this week became a dad again, said: “Danny wasn’t brilliant up there, wasn’t he? He just makes a big difference to the team with the way he holds it up for us.

“He gave their young lads a really tough time and it allowed Tony to get off him and do a bit of magic.

“It was probably the best we’ve seen of Tony so far while Danny was just a handful. I know I certainly wouldn’t like to play against him.”

Tuesday’s clash was the second time in the space of a month that Duffy had faced his friend Jordan Rhodes.

Rhodes made a £9m move to Middlesbrough from Rovers on the final day of the January transfer window.

But he was unable to mark his first return to Ewood with a goal as Boro missed the chance to move above Burnley at the top.

“I thought it was a thoroughly deserved victory,” said Duffy, who joked Rhodes was more ‘serious’ than he expected.

“We wanted it more, got the goals at the right time and defended well.

“Jordan had chances but I don’t think he ever got in unless there was a lucky deflection or we made a mistake.

“I thought we defended the crosses and balls in really well and the only chances they got came from us.

“We were solid and I think we have been all season apart from a few sloppy goals.

“I felt we were quite comfortable against two of the top strikers in the league.”

This afternoon’s encounter will be the first time Duffy has played in an East Lancashire derby at Turf Moor.

However it is a ground the Republic of Ireland international is familiar with having made his league debut there in April 2011 while on loan with the Clarets from Everton.

But that proved to be Duffy’s sole appearance for Burnley and he joked: “It was only one game so it doesn’t count!”