DONCASTER Rovers are clawing their way back from footballing oblivion - thanks in part to Burnley striker Andy Payton.

Four goals in two games from former Clarets' striker Ian Duerden have transformed Doncaster's season.

And Duerden admits much of the credit must go to Payton, who passed on some of his goalscoring secrets when the pair met up in Burnley.

Duerden revealed: "I saw Andy Payton in town and we had a long chat about scoring goals and he gave me a few hints.

"He said that after training he bangs 100 balls into the net so I've started doing the same. He's been a good help and I've followed what he said.

"Hopefully it will carry on because every striker needs to score goals."

Duerden hasn't looked back and his recent goalscoring exploits have made the rest of the Conference - and a number of scouts - sit up and take notice. The 20-year-old front man, who was released from Turf Moor at the end of last season after making a solitary League appearance under Chris Waddle, scored a hat-trick as Doncaster produced a stunning 3-0 win at title-chasing Rushden and Diamonds a fortnight ago.

And he followed that up with the only goal of the game last Saturday as Rovers won at league leaders Kettering to move five points clear of the relegation zone and ease their fears of dropping into the Unibond League.

That took Duerden's total to seven goals in 14 games since he joined the South Yorkshire club from Halifax Town where he played one Third Division game at the start of the campaign.

The Burnley-born player, who joined his hometown club as a trainee, has signed a contract until the end of the season and is hoping to secure a more permanent deal in the not-too-distant future. I want to go back into the Football League with Doncaster. The ambition is unbelievable and it's a club I want to be with for the next couple of years. "It really hurt when I left Burnley but from Halifax I saw this as a step up. Ian Snodin really sold it to me."

With Rovers favourite Snodin back at Belle Vue as manager, Doncaster are looking to re-build under new owners and repair the damage of last season's inglorious slide out of the Football League.

The club has retained a full-time playing staff and the next target in Duerden's sights will be Yeovil Town's proud unbeaten away record, the only one in the top five divisions of English football, which they put on the line at Doncaster next Saturday.

Another player who followed Duerden out of Turf Moor in the summer, albeit in different circumstances, was set for a return to action at Burnley today.

And Gerry Harrison, now with Luton Town, believes the Clarets are beginning to look the part after a difficult start to the season.

"At the start Burnley had to play a lot of younger players and that's been part of the problem at Luton.

"That's no disrespect to the young players but it's hard for them to do it week-in, week-out," said Harrison.

"But the people Stan Ternent has brought in are starting to show why he got them." It does take a while for anybody to settle down. I have settled quite well at Luton but it is quite hard when you bring in new players and it takes time to blend.

"But he has bought some very good players and I think they are going in the right direction."

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