Chris Wilder paid tribute to Sheffield United's defensive unit after recording their seventh consecutive clean sheet in their 1-0 victory over Leeds United.

Chris Basham scored a 71st-minute winner for Wilder's side as the Blades secured a victory which saw them leapfrog Leeds into the automatic promotion spots.

Their Yorkshire derby success means United's promotion bid is now in their own hands, as eight victories between now and early May would secure their place in the top-flight next season.

The Blades have now not conceded a goal since their 3-3 draw with Aston Villa in early February and Wilder owes this to his team's relentless desire.

"Seven clean sheets is an absolutely amazing record," he told Sheffield United's YouTube channel. "It shows our unbelievable desire to keep the ball out of the net.

"We've cemented our place in the play-offs now but this group of players, the supporters and their manager want more than that."

United's defensive effort saw them through after they ended the game with just 29% possession and having completed 230 passes to Leeds' 555 passes, but Wilder said the nature of the performance was not important.

"We can play better with the ball but whatever you need to do to win football matches, we have done today.

"The purists might have thought that Leeds deserved to win, but it doesn’t really work that way at times and we will gladly take the win."

Wilder's side will be looking to strengthen their grip on one of the top two spots when they host Bristol City on the weekend and the Blades' boss believes Saturday's result will now increase the intrigue surrounding the Championship's promotion chase.

“It would have been difficult if we had lost today and the other two teams at the top had won, but we’ve tightened it up and made it interesting.

"When people are involved in title races and want to get out of a division, it is also over to the other teams involved in it. We have done our bit now and that’s all we can keep doing."

The verdict

Wilder refused to label Saturday's game as season-defining, but it certainly does feel that way after their hard-fought success.

The full-time celebrations on the pitch and in the away end suggested United understood the importance of the Elland Road clash, in terms of league position and the statement it would make.

The Blades' defensive record reveals they are not going to surrender lightly, which means it would now be a surprise if they did not have an automatic promotion spot tied up come May.