CHRIS WILDER said his Sheffield United faced a “big week” after they saw their hopes of automatic promotion slip further away with defeat at bottom club Plymouth Argyle.

Muhamed Tijani scored an 88th-minute winner seven minutes after in-form Ryan Hardie – with nine goals in his last 11 games – cancelled out Jesurun Rak-Sakyi’s 44th minute opener.

While the 2-1 win boosted Plymouth’s survival hopes, it leaves the Blades five points further behind joint-leaders Leeds and Burnley with four games remaining.

Wilder was left ruing his side’s inability to build on their first-half lead, leaving themselves with a mountain to climb over the next three weeks.

“The biggest message was to go and be clinical,” said Wilder. “We did what we needed to do in getting the first goal.

“We dealt with the throw-ins and set pieces. The first goal goes in, and that quietens the home crowd down. But to go and get the second goal would have killed the game.

“We never really showed the quality we should be showing at the top end of the pitch. We should have scored when Tyrese (Campbell) was through.

“They found a winner. Their lad does brilliant with that cross in from in front of the dugout.

IT'S GOOD TO TALK: Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder speaks to the players following defeat to Plymouth Argyle at Home Park - leaving them five points off the top two. Picture: Nick Potts/PA

“We had to go and get the second goal. At any level one goal is never enough.”

Wilder admits he was left surprised at the defeat, given how comfortable his side looked up until Hardie’s equaliser.

“We got to 75 minutes I never felt there was a goal coming,” added the Blades boss. “That’s not arrogance. Coops (Michael Cooper) didn’t have much to do. We were in control of the game.

“From their point of view it’s a massive victory. From our point of view it’s a massive disappointment – three defeats in a week. We couldn’t have had a worse week in terms of results.

TOUGH DAY: Sheffield United's Gustavo Hamer (centre) battles with Plymouth Argyle's Julio Pleguezuelo. Picture: Nick Potts/PA

“Players have to pick themselves up and that’s what I was talking about in the huddle afterwards.

“We have not been good enough in the last three games. I don’t think it’s pressure or nerves. We are just not finding big enough moments.

“We need a big week now when we get back in on Monday. We can’t afford to lose three on the spin if we want to be in amongst it.

“We need a win on Friday to get that feeling back inside us.”

Plymouth Argyle: Hazard, Szucs, Palsson, Pleguezuelo, Mumba, Randell, Houghton, Ogbeta (Edwards 46), Hardie, Wright (Tijani 64), Bundu (Gyabi 90). Unused substitutes: Grimshaw, Obafemi, Puchacz, Boateng, Baidoo, Issaka.

Sheffield United: Cooper, Clarke (Seriki 68), Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Burrows, Peck (Campbell 84), V Souza (Choudhury 80), Rak-Sakyi (Brereton Diaz 67), Hamer, O'Hare, Cannon (Moore 68). Unused substitutes: A Davies, McCallum, Holding, Brewster.

Referee: Oliver Langford (W Midlands).

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder demands 'big' response from Blades as losing run threatens top two hopes