Paul Heckingbottom on Sheffield United's big win and defensive tweak as Blades quieten noise against Watford

Consecutive defeats had seen the gap to third-placed Middlesbrough reduced to four points (albeit with a Blades game in hand) but a victory over Watford as the Teessiders slipped up at West Bromwich Albion restored some calm.

The only goal came from a Ryan Porteous own goal and there were some hairy moments but they showed real character th grind out victory.

"We don't get any more (points) for it but it's a big win," said Heckingbottom at full-time.

"We spoke a lot in the week about how our approach doesn't change but I get there's always questions and people's mentality outside our group will change, whether that's our fans or opposition fans, so it's important to pick up wins.

"I'm really pleased with the players.

"It is (important) because it stops people talking about it but it'll be irrelevant if we don't get enough points between now and the end of the season. It's all about that.

"In terms of the the gap, it's seven points with a game in hand but it'll not stay like that, it'll go up and come down.

"We just have to try and make sure we're on the correct side of it.

"People talk about Boro and it may remain us and Boro but Millwall will go again, Luton will go again, Blackburn. It could all change again.

"The gap's not going to stay the same between now and the end of the season.

"Our closest challengers may not stay the same.

"We have to look after ourselves and keep trying to get the wins. If we can't get the wins, make sure we get the points."

Watford's forward line is packed with talent but after conceding six goals in those consecutive defeats, Heckingbottom was delighted with a clean sheet.

"We changed slightly in how we went after the ball and pressed the ball," the manager revealed. "We committed one body fewer to pay Watford that respect. They have such an athletic front four.

"We'll always take risks and go after the ball. The players know if we get that but right, I believe we'll win. If we get it right and the opposition scores, it's on me.

"If we'd gone that way and left two thirds of the pitch as space for those players to receive balls in one-v-one and in behind, that's where they're so dangerous.

"To limit them to six attempts and a couple of them blocked is a big thing."

John Fleck played for an hour on his first start since breaking his leg against Rotherham United in November.

"We're not expecting him to be back to his best but I don't think it's any coincidence his last 90 minutes were Burnley and Blackburn," said Heckingbottom.

"We know what a big player he can be for us but we understand how much football he's missed as well.

"He's had to be patient again. I've been using him sparingly and he's played in the reserve games so we got a good 60 minutes out of him."

For all that Watford looked ominous, they only had two shots on target and their manager Slaven Bilic felt that was decisive.

"It was like a derby game," he said.

"We knew we would have to be complete here to get a result.

"The first part of the job we had to do was to cope with their physicality and they coped with that well. That required quality and a lot of effort.

"We dealt with that really well if you take that corner out.

"The second part was to hurt them, to switch sides and to penetrate and the majority of that we did well.

"We made them run, we were switching sides, but we didn't penetrate.

"I'm not talking about counter-attacks, I'm talking about attacking with five or six players.

"It was either a bad ball or a few extra passes we didn't need. We had eight shots but considering how many times we were there (in Sheffield United's final third), it was nothing.

"If they'd run over us I'd say, 'Okay, we' can't cope with the physicality.' I thought we may struggle with that but we didn't.

"When we needed to convert good chances, we didn't do it.

"At the moment we are a team that has to do a lot to score a goal. That's a disappointment.

"Sometimes the opponent is better than you and you count on that one chance to get a point or three but this was not that kind of a game."