Paul Heckingbottom reflects on a key moment in Championship season for seven-up Sheffield United

But Iliman Ndiaye's breakthrough on the hour mark was still the most important strike in the two games involving the Royals by a distance.

It helped the second-placed Blades to their first league away win of 2023, but more importantly, it extended their lead over Boro back to seven points.

Should they have slipped up, then it would have truly been 'game on' in terms of an all-Yorkshire battle for a potential ticket to the Premier League, reviving memories of the Blades’ promotion fight with Leeds United back in 2018-19, which was won by the South Yorkshire outfit.

Things could change in the games ahead still, but there was an undeniable feeling that the final whistle which greeted United's tense 1-0 victory in Berkshire could well be a significant moment in the scrap for automatic promotion.

Paul Heckingbottom certainly did not downplay its importance in his side's game in hand on Boro and Blackburn Rovers, who started the game four and six points behind United respectively.

The Blades chief, who has now completed his three-match touchline ban and will be back in technical area as opposed to the TV gantry when his side welcome fifth-placed Luton Town on Saturday, said: "It does matter.

"We are bothered about us and our performance, but we know what the end goal is.

"I am probably less aware of what is said outside then most as I have not got time to be thinking about that.

"It doesn't mean it does not affect people and it shows how much we want to win and how much it means to everyone.

"Now we are in a position where everyone knows where we stand, it is seven points with 11 games left, everyone is on an equal footing now. There it is. It's all to play for.

"It was a big win at a tough place and we know how good Reading's home form has been all season and we expected them at their best after the result they had at the weekend.

"Jack (Lester) made a great point (at Blackburn). It just looked like a Championship game and we looked like an average Championship team where it could have easily gone our way. I get that, but we want to play with a bit more fire and identity and we had that (at Reading)."

Among the crowd at Tuesday's game was prospective new United owner Dozy Mmobuosi, awaiting approval from the English Football League to complete his takeover.

He, like everyone connected with United, will also be keeping their fingers crossed that the injury prognosis regarding the Blades' matchwinner and talismanic figure in Ndiaye is not a bad one after the club's joint top-scorer was forced off shortly after scoring the winner.

James McAtee also left the fray in the second half, but it was nothing more than a bout of cramp.

Heckingbottom, who confirmed that midfielder Ben Osborn will be sidelined for 'a couple of weeks' with a hamstring problem, said: “Iliman took a whack receiving the ball, (with) some contact from behind."

“It’s (an) impact and we are hoping it’s a dead leg."