DEAN West was delighted to net his first goal for the Clarets against Blackpool on Tuesday night, now he hopes he can soon celebrate signing a longer contract to keep him at Turf Moor.

The 29-year-old right back, player of the season last year, has been on a month by month deal since his previous contract expired in the summer.

He wants to stay, the manager wants to keep him but the financial uncertainty has meant the longer deal he is seeking for security has not come forward.

"We all know the financial problems but perhaps if we can have a good run in the Worthington Cup that might help something be sorted out," said West who opened the scoring against Blackpool.

""Being on a monthly contract is not ideal for me or for my family. It would be nice to have a longer deal and the current one runs out on September 28.

"I hope they can sort something out because I am very happy here and I think that I have been doing the business on the pitch, playing consistently every week. There are players here on two and three year deals and with a young family I do need some sort of security.

"I hope that will happen and that we can stop talking so much about finances. That seems to be everything at the moment but as players we are trying to put all that behind us and get on with what matters most - the football."

No one made more appearances that West last season and he has been an ever present so far this time around. But having scored goals at both Lincoln City and Bury in the past it is something of a surprise that he had to wait until his fourth season at Burnley to break his duck for the Clarets.

"It is about time I scored really," he admitted. "It is just over three years since I scored my last goal, a far post header for Bury against Port Vale.

"I started my career as a midfielder and got about 20 goals for Lincoln and even as a right back at Bury I chipped in with a few. This has easily been my longest period without scoring.

"Last season I seemed to get close every week, I hit the bar and forced some great saves

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CLARETS: From back page

but it wouldn't come."

Despite his barren spell he had no hesitation in taking the free kick against Blackpool the other night as he explained: "I strike a decent ball and I always work on the principle that if you hit the target you have a chance.

"A lot of free kicks people take tend to smash against the wall but if you can get it through the keeper will be unsighted."

On the back of two successive wins West knows it is now essential that the run keeps going as he said: "We have to keep picking up points, having started with the draw against Crystal Palace."

A key feature of the last two games has been his link up with Glen Little and Robbie Blake and it is one he has enjoyed.

"They are both good ball players and I know I can give them the ball even if it is tight," he said. "I then go running off them and making space and try to pass it back to them.

"We changed formation after the first half at Derby having contained them quite well but not creating much. That changed and we won.

"But we have to keep going because we don't want to get to Christmas and find we have been sucked into a relegation battle."

West's main hope is that he will still be a Claret in December, planing for a long stay at Turf Moor. Certainly Stan Ternent will want to keep a man he has relied on at both Bury and Burnley and a player he has admitted he is very keen to keep.