Iliman Ndiaye's tap-in has Paul Heckingbottom purring as Sheffield United striker adds killer touch to the flicks

Well though the Blades played, Ndiaye's sliding finish from a low James McAtee cross was all that separated them from a Wigan side bottom of the Championship.

Without him, it would have been an excellent performance lacking a cutting edge, but with him it was one step closer to the Premier League as the Blades go into the final seven matches of the campaign on a run of four straight wins.

"He's scored and he's won us the game and was brilliant again but he's had some criticism off me in the last few weeks for not having enough shots, not being in the six-yard box enough," said manager Heckingbottom.

"Jack (Lester, Heckingbottom's first-team coach) has put a presentation on for him this week about all that, make sure he understands it and pointed out the harsh facts of where he needs to be better and why because whilst everyone comes to watch his tricks and his ability with the ball it's his goals that win us games and he needs to be in there.

"It's about what's effective for the team so it's a reminder for him.

"Where he scored his goal, I'm delighted. It was everything we spoke about and worked on. It's an unbelievable goal."

The full range of the Senegal international's skills were on display as he ran at opponents at will throughout the game, and given how his game seems to have improved at international level, it is exciting to think what he might be like if, as seems increasingly likely, he is playing in next season's Premier League.

"He's worked hard at his ability with the ball, it's natural for him," commented Heckingbottom, who first worked with Ndiaye as the club's under-23s coach. "Him looking after the ball isn't necessarily always what we want him to do to win us games.

"A 30-yard, 40-yard run at pace off the ball to get four yards from goal for a tap-in is what's not natural (for him). That's what we keep having to push him on.

"Everything else, he's doing what he loves doing. That's a blessing and a pleasure to watch.

"We haven't set him a goals target, he's just got to be involved. He's in our team to win the ball back high and create and score goals for us. He needs to push himself to do that as often as possible.

"When he releases is more important for us, how often and what happens next.

"I judge him on his final touch and that's where he has improved.

"The last seven games, his effectiveness in the final third hasn't been the same.

"He might not always be happy with what's said to him but he knows we believe it's for the best.

"He's driven, he's hungry, he's a tough lad mentally and tough physically and he knows what he wants."

The Blades had 22 shots, but only four on target. Wigan had just one, but if Wes Foderingham's reflexes had not been sharp to deny Thelo Aasgaard, the hosts could have been bemoaning points dropped.

"At this stage of the season you can't call any win a comfortable win but if that was the beginning of the season, you'd be looking at how you played and how you performed and it was a dominant 1-0," said Heckingbottom.

"However we say it all the time, we are creating the most chances in the league and we're missing them at the minute.

"Luckily it's not cost us and hopefully we're saving them up for when we really need them.

"The points are what's important. The performance was good, lots of good things in it.

"It would just have felt a lot easier and probably would have gone on to be a lot different if we'd got at least another two in the first half."I think we're top for big chances created, or right up there, we were top. But we want to improve all the time. We want it to cost us. Luckily today it's not.

"There were lots of good things and it should have been reflected in the scoreline."

The Blades are at leaders Burnley on Monday.