Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder admits he got selection wrong, but praises his side for coming through anyway

The Blades extended their lead at the top of the table thanks to a goal from Ryan One and an 88th-minute penalty from substitute Kieffer Moore. The scoreline flattered the hosts against relegation-threatened Plymouth Argyle.

In hindsight, Wilder felt he should have freshened up his injury-hit team more, but he made up for it with a half-time formation change from 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-2-1 which had the Blades looking much sharper.

"I think it shows you when we miss a couple of players it really does stretch us and then we've got Kieffer coming on who really should have another week-and-a-half of training under his belt, Tom Davies we should be easing back into first-team football," said Wilder.

"To play the three games we did (in) a ridiculous schedule, to play Sunday afternoon away (at West Bromwich Albion), Wednesday night in London, come back early and play Saturday, we're getting punished for winning games of football.

"I don't think that was right and it stretched some of our younger boys because that's the first time the young boys will have played three games in six days at the top end of the Championship so it's a good result for us, really good because they were better.

"I think we've had to work hard, myself, Al and the coaches right the way through the game and especially at half-time changing shape because they bounced it out too easily. They got Brendan Galloway out too easily in the first half, they were more mobile, had more energy in their team (in the) first half.

"We were asking a young 18-year-old (Ryan One) to do a man's job on his (full) debut."

Despite the scoreline saying otherwise, Plymouth were the better side in the first half and Wilder felt midfielder Adam Randell saw too much of the ball.

"I've got to give credit for Wayne (Rooney) and his coaching staff and (new assistant manager) Micky Phelan because they were the better side in the first half, without a shadow of doubt," said Wilder. "I blame myself that maybe we should have made some more changes but I wanted that team to go again.

"Maybe I should have freshened it up so a bit of a learning curve for the 57-year-old manager.

"We couldn't get the press right, we couldn't jump onto their six (Randell), our sixes were too stretched, we didn't get up the pitch enough and when we broke it up their press was better than us, we turned it over too many times.

"Our quality wasn't very good but we're here to try and help the players as coaches and managers to make it a little bit easier so going man for man and jumping on their six, I think we made it a little bit more difficult for them to get out and break our press.

"We were better second half. I'm not saying we created clear-cut chances and it should have been two, three and four, but we felt a lot more comfortable but not safe until we got the penalty.

"We were never unbelievably comfortable because Michael (Cooper)'s had to make a save (from Ryan Hardie)."

Plymouth manager Rooney was full of praise for the way his side played and the way the hosts fought.

"I didn't feel we deserved to lose but that's what Sheffield United are, a very efficient team," said the former England captain. "(They were) good in both boxes and that's what settled the game.

"We controlled large portions of the game and then missed opportunities. Performance-wise it was good but results-wise, disappointing.

"I thought we were the better team in the second period as well.

"We were positive and thought we could control the game, and we felt that's how it went. But unfortunately we conceded from a set-piece, a good finish from the lad, and couldn't get the equaliser.

"I thought we deserved something from the game but that's football, and that's what Sheffield United have done all season. So clearly you have to give them credit as well, that's what they do."