'Big gap, but...' Sheffield United boss's verdict as Blades keep up Burnley pressure with top Blackpool win

Goals from Sander Berge and James McAtee were the difference for the Blades, who withstood a slightly nervy ending after Marvin Ekpiteta halved the deficit for the hosts to go 11 points clear of third-placed Blackburn Rovers in the race for the Premier League.

"The result was first class and big parts of the performance were good as well," said Heckingbottom, whose side now have eight wins from their last nine matches.

"Especially in this league, you can't take your foot off the gas. You have to be willing to work hard and make sacrifices. If our flair players, or match winners, aren't willing to do that then they probably don't play because they give the opposition an advantage, but their work rate is brilliant, and they help us win games at the other end as well.

"It's a big gap over third, but we want to improve it, we want to keep winning. The more we get now, the harder the work, the better we perform, the more sacrifices we're willing to make the better position we're going to be in come the end of the season.

"That's why performances like that are so pleasing. The players drive themselves and they understand what it takes. We try and reinforce it as coaches with the decisions we make to keep them on their toes, but the players are driving it and they deserve the credit."