Sheffield United 1-0 Watford: Own goal from Ryan Porteous hands Blades win
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Sheffield United returned to winning ways against Watford after suffering back-to-back losses
Sheffield United restored a seven-point cushion in the race for automatic promotion after an own goal from Ryan Porteous sealed victory against Championship play-off hopefuls Watford.
After a tense first half failed to produce a shot on target from either side, Porteous diverted the winner into his own net after reacting to a header from Oli McBurnie.
Earlier an offside flag denied Jayden Bogle from heading the hosts in front just after the hour mark.
Watford goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann made crucial saves either side of that effort being ruled out - first denying Oliver Norwood from a free-kick before coming up with a double save to foil substitutes Tommy Doyle and Ben Osborn.
Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom said before the game that they would need to "fight and scrap" for every point to secure a Premier League return after a two-year absence, and their afternoon of toil and bundled winner epitomised the effort required.
Back-to-back defeats for United, which followed a 10-match unbeaten league run, saw the 14-point lead they had over third place on 20 January eroded to just four.
But third-placed Middlesbrough's defeat at West Brom ensured they were able to extend that gap back out to seven.
Watford's first loss in five games saw them slip one spot to eighth and three points adrift of the play-off spots.
Morocco midfielder Imran Louza made his first Hornets start since October, having come off the bench in his previous three appearances since regaining fitness after breaking his leg.
His introduction for Ismael Kone, who dropped to the bench, was the only change made by Slaven Bilic following their 3-2 win over West Brom last time out, while the Blades made three changes from the side beaten by Millwall.
John Fleck was brought in for his first start since November, along with Anel Ahmedhodzic and Iliman Ndiaye.
Ahmedhodzic's foul on Joao Pedro in the 17th minute led to Watford's best chance of the first half, with Keinan Davis wastefully glancing his header wide from the resulting free-kick.
Ndiaye responded by sending an effort from just inside the area over the bar soon after.
It took 52 minutes for a shot on goal at Bramall Lane, with Norwood testing Hornets keeper Bachmann from a set-piece.
Ahmedhodzic went close for hosts before Bogle found the back of the net, only for his header to be ruled out by the referee.
Bachmann also went on to foil Doyle and Osborn, but the Blades' persistence eventually paid off when McBurnie's header from a corner was diverted into the net.
Striker Billy Sharp returned from injury as a substitute for the Blades, who next face Premier League side Tottenham in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Wednesday.
Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Sheffield:
"We've had a good week. It's been a while since we could work all together on the grass, we've had a few players missing through illness.
"We did pay respect to Watford's front four because they can have big moments so we slightly changed how we pressed and defended our half really well.
"Once we got the goal, the way we were defending, the mentality of the group, I felt we'd go on and win the game."
Watford head coach Slaven Bilic told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"We coped with their physicality very well, so that part of the job that we knew we had to do was done.
"The other part of the job we did well until [we reached] their box, so many times we were in really dangerous areas, but the last pass or a good cross was absolutely lacking.
"You can't leave their best header [of the ball] alone in the box in a good situation and after that it was a weird deflection [for the goal] and unlucky - but you can't leave their best player there."