Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom has praised Birmingham City for their "energy and spirit" in their 1-1 draw at Bramall Lane on Saturday. 

It was a tough game for the Blades who found it difficult to break their opponents down throughout the game.

They did take the lead through Oli McBurnie in the 64th minute but Birmingham equalised just five minutes later with Troy Deeney finding himself with acres of space in the Blades box.

It will be a goal that will have disappointed Heckingbottom after their defensive quality this season, but it didn't stop him praising his opposing manager for how he set Birmingham up in the draw.

Speaking to the media after the game, Heckingbottom said: "If you had watched Birmingham's last three games, there's a good energy and spirit about them. We knew it was going to be tough, we have faced it here before."

It energy Birmingham displayed wasn't matched with Heckingbottom admitting to some players lacking intensity: "There was fatigue in the performance and lack of prep, but the players were excellent in the way they applied themselves."

Sheffield United still sit top of the Championship after the draw, with Norwich just one point behind them.

Birmingham remain 15th on 13 points after this draw, with Eustace looking to continue their unbeaten run when his side visit Middlesbrough on Tuesday.

The Verdict

It was a relentless and organised performance from Birmingham who knew they would have needed to match Sheffield United.

They did that with ease and took advantage of an error from the Blades which is all you can ask for in games away from home.

It's a performance that will stand them in good stead as the season ticks on as Eustace will know the standards they will need to set, with this performance setting a very high bar.