Sheffield United top of the pile after holding off Luton Town's attacking instincts

Anel Ahmedhodzic’s goal with 11 minutes left proved the difference on the day as the Blades moved above Leeds – who play today – to give their chances of automatic promotion another huge boost.

“They (Luton) gave their supporters something to get excited about in terms of their approach,” said Wilder.

“They stuck it on us, they played forward and it was a really difficult proposition to deal with.

“We made some changes for the second half and we had to find a way to get hold of the game, had a couple of chances as well, but it was a day where you knew it was going to come on top for us and we managed to deal with that and get three points.

“It was a great finish. We lost a couple of players – Tom Cannon and Gus (Hamer) – so we had to change it around a bit.

“We changed personnel, but the togetherness of the group is incredible and that’s the reason we’re in the position that we are.

“Every day we turn up and the standards turn up and every game we turn up and that’s what I love about the team.”

It was the struggling Hatters had looked by far the better side in the first half, Thelo Aasgaard’s snapshot from 20 yards well handled by the retreating Michael Cooper.

Luton then forced two corners, the second of which was taken short to Liam Walsh, his inviting cross headed off target by Elijah Adebayo.

The hosts were a whisker away from moving ahead after 15 minutes when a glorious team move ended with Aasgaard curling the ball against the underside of the crossbar and Izzy Jones’ follow up blocked by the legs of a grateful Cooper.

Aasgaard teased in a beautiful cross that Adebayo volleyed over from six yards but the hosts kept on shooting when the chance arose too, Walsh blasting over the woodwork when well-placed.

In the final stages of the first half, the Blades had their best moment. Tyrese Campbell was slipped through but Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski used his legs to save.

Aasgaard had another crack that flew into the stands, while in the second period, United came close but Jack Robinson’s back-post header proved an easy save for Kaminski.

Then came a flurry of chances at both ends, Carlton Morris’ glancing header from Alfie Doughty’s cross palmed away by Cooper and Campbell’s low ball in prodded against the crossbar by a stretching Ben Brereton Diaz from a matter of yards.

The former Villarreal attacker ought to have really broken the deadlock midway through the half though, when a cross bounced kindly at his feet, thumping over the top.

Late on, it felt that Luton’s wastefulness would come back and bite them and after Kaminski kept out a header, the Blades won it when Ahmedhodzic turned the ball home, the Hatters supporters and players screaming for an offside flag that never came.

Luton Town: Kaminski, McGuinness, Naismith (Alli 90), Bell, Jones, Walsh (Bowler 90), Nakamba (Baptiste 76), Aasgaard, Doughty, Morris, Adebayo (Brown 69). Unused substitutes: Krul, Walters, Andersen, Johnson, Nordas.

Sheffield United: Cooper, Clarke, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, McCallum (Burrows 66), V Souza, Choudhury, Rak-Sakyi (Peck 46), Brewster (Holding 46), Brereton Diaz (O'Hare 78), Campbell (One 66). Unused substitutes: Faxon, T Davies, Norrington-Davies, Brooks.

Referee: Lewis Smith (Lancashire).