Preston North End 0 Sheffield United 2: Oli McBurnie doubles Blades' lead after Ndiaye's opener

Paul Heckingbottom hailed a "strong away performance" from his Sheffield United side as they strengthened their grip on top spot in the Championship with victory away at Preston North End.

Goals in either half from Iliman Ndiaye and Oli McBurnie sent United into the international break with 23 points from their 10 league games so far, opening up a five-point cushion over third-placed Reading at this early stage of the season.

Preston, who went into the game having scored only three times so far this campaign, began strongly and United's defenders were forced to put their bodies on the line to avoid goalkeeper Wes Foderingham being tested in the first half.

Foderingham's only real work in the game was a superb second-half save from Alan Browne's shot but by then the Blades were 2-0 ahead.

"We wanted to be better in the second half than the first," Heckingbottom said.

"The goal woke us up and the best part of the first half for us was the five minutes just after the goal. We know we needed to be better and in the second half, we were.

"We were strong, it was a real strong away performance and goes back to a real good save from Wes, down to his left. Then a header over if you can call it that from Ched Evans from a set play and that was it. We needed to be better and we were so in the end, a strong display.

"We were lethargic in the first half. We weren't as aggressive as we usually are, we were second to things, and that's what we needed to improve."

and the Blades machine just rolls on and on - they’ll take some stopping in this sort of mood, even when they aren’t at their best as they were for parts of this afternoon. But they just keep on finding a way and go into the break top of the table. The Blades go marching on...

for James McAtee as we enter five minutes of stoppage time

as he gets down so quickly to his left to tip Browne’s well-struck effort round the post - North End getting one back could make things a little nervy, especially considering what happened last season, so that could be a crucial save

AND IT’S McBurnie who taps home from close range after Berge robbed Hughes and slid in to nudge into his teammate’s path - Berge takes some treatment as a result while the Blades fans go mad behind that goal and their side are 2-0 ahead now

as the ball finds him in acres of space and well placed, but he looks to snatch at the effort a tad and it goes high and wide

as the ball sits up nicely for him on the angle, he swings a boot at it and hits it well but it flashes wide of Woodman’s post

at Deepdale, no changes for the Blades at the break

and the Blades lead at the break, another bit of magic from Ndiaye has them ahead after a half which saw Preston trouble them a few times without ever really testing Foderingham and it could have been 2-0 but for Woodman’s save from Ndiaye’s snapshot. So far, so good for the Blades

as Ndiaye’s snapshot is saved well by Woodman, not sure how much he knew about it but a decent reaction save before the follow-up is blazed high and over by Norwood