Burnley boss Sean Dyche has blamed "soft" defending for his side's defeat to Sunderland.

The Clarets had their hopes of Premier League survival dented on Saturday with a 2-0 loss at the Stadium of Light.

The result has kept Burnley in 17th place in the table, one point above the relegation zone.

Despite insisting that his players remain confident of staying up, Dyche admits that poor defending cost them against the Black Cats.

"The players know and I know that you can't give away chances at this level. Credit to Sunderland, two good goals from their point of view but two soft goals for us," he told BBC Sport.

"The lads have got total belief in what they do. We're trying to create, but we still need to find that quality at key moments. These are key reminders that you have to do everything right at this level."

Burnley are back in action next Sunday when they welcome West Bromwich Albion to Turf Moor.