KEVIN Long knows it is time for Burnley to deliver on their promise to stop conceding sloppy goals as the Claret prepare for a crunch clash at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Sean Dyche's side have conceded 27 goals in just 13 Premier League games, only 12 shy of the tally they shipped in the whole of last season when the Clarets finished seventh.

They haven't hit those heights this term and head to Selhurst Park level on points with their opponents, the pair just outside the bottom three.

Burnley were beaten 2-1 by Newcastle United on Monday night, falling two down inside the opening 15 minutes to two avoidable goals.

While the Magpies' first came via a deflection off Ben Mee, Ciaran Clark was afforded too much space to head home the second and Long knows the Clarets have to improve defensively.

"From our point of view it is two soft goals conceded," said the Irishman who has impressed for the Clarets in the absence of the injured James Tarkowski and Ben Gibson.

"The first one a is deflection that flies in the top corner, the second one we don’t defend the corner well enough and we are slow to react and they get the header at the front post.

"We have conceded a lot of soft goals this season and we can’t keep doing that. We need to cut those sloppy goals out. If we do that I think we will alright.

"We have been saying it from the first couple of weeks of the season but we are talking and we need to go and do it."

Asked if he could put his finger on why the Clarets have been porous at the back, Long said: "I think it is a bit of concentration, we are doing the work on the training ground but it is just not coming off at the moment.

"I think things will turn, we just need to keep doing the right things and I think concentration is a big part of that. If we keep working hard I know things will turn around.

"We need to start winning games and we need to do it sooner rather than later. We have some massive games coming up and we want to take all three points at Palace."

The defeat to Newcastle made it six games without a victory for the Clarets who failed to build on the point, and shut-out, at Leicester City prior to the international break.

"It was really disappointing," added Long of Monday night's reverse. "To give away two sloppy goals at the start of the game meant it was always an uphill battle.

"Against any team in the Premier League if you go two goals down it is always going to be a hard game and that showed. They set up and defended well and got the three points.

"They sat in and we had a lot of the ball and they defended well and did what they needed to do.

"I think we showed heart and determination to try and fight back into the game but they were a hard team to break down."