Striker James Beattie headed United's 63rd-minute winner, but it was Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Paddy Kenny and the Blades' solid back four who ensured United ended their nine-game wait for a win.

Delighted boss Blackwell – a former assistant manager and player at Plymouth – said: "It's always nice to win games, but we talk about the precursor to winning games is getting your performances right.

"Other than Charlton last Saturday, I think our performances have involved hard work, been dogged and from there we maybe lost the cleverness of how to win games.

"If you keep drawing games, you forget how to win games. Now we have got to learn how to win and this will go a long way to giving them that confidence."

As for Kenny, who made four top-class saves, former goalkeeper Blackwell added: "That's the capabilities of Paddy Kenny and that's why I said when the back four look behind and see this lad there, they have got to be confident – and I thought today proved it."

Kenny denied Jermaine Easter at the start of the second half, a save which proved pivotal as United scored soon after.

Gary Speed showed his class to find Beattie, who sent David Cotterill away down the right before meeting the winger's cross with a powerful header from inside the six-yard box.

That was the signal for Argyle to use the swirling wind to their advantage and pour forward in search of an equaliser.

But Kenny was having none of it and keep out a deflected effort from Russell Anderson and made superb saves from Peter Halmosi and substitute Jamie Mackie.

Even when Kenny was eventually beaten in the second half, central defender Matthew Kilgallon made a magnificent clearance off the line to deny Halmosi, who had two first-half efforts cleared away by Blades captain Chris Morgan and full-back Gary Naysmith. Scottish international Naysmith also kept out Easter's shot.

Argyle boss Paul Sturrock said: "The disappointing thing for me is that we have lost, there are a lot of disappointed players in my dressing room at this moment.

"But the positive aspect to all of this is the number of chances we have created – even though we did not take them all – and the fact we have forced them to make clearances off the line and their keeper had to make some great saves."

Plymouth: McCormick, Connolly, Timar, Anderson, Sawyer, Teale (Clark 68), Nalis (Fallon 74), Abdou, Halmosi, Easter (Mackie 65), MacLean. Unused substitutes: Wotton, Seip.

Sheffield United: Kenny, Geary, Morgan, Kilgallon, Naysmith, Cotterill, Tonge, Speed, Carney (Gillespie 71), Beattie (Hulse 82), Sharp (Ehiogu 90). Unused substitutes: Bennett, Stead.

Referee: A Hall (W Midlands).

Blades man of the match: Paddy Kenny.