Malky Mackay believes it was ‘guts and determination’ which saw his Watford side keep a clean sheet against Sheffield United and secure their fourth away victory of the season.

Watford were on top for most of the first half and went into the break 1-0 up after Marvin Sordell’s sixth goal on the season.

The Hornets then needed some resilient, and often last-ditch, defending to survive a long spell of Sheffield United pressure in the second half before regaining control once more towards the end of the match.

Mackay said: “I am really pleased with the clean sheet today because there was a period in the second half where it was guts and determination which saw us through our defending. Possibly a year ago we would have lost or drawn the game so to have people putting their body on the line and filling in for each other, that pleases me most.”

Mackay spoke about the intense atmosphere created at Bramall Lane last week and the Scot was delighted his squad managed to silence the crowd with their first half display.

“Through my career it has never been an easy place to come and that doesn’t change,” Mackay said.

“There is always an intense atmosphere and the home team were kicking towards their own fans in the second half.

“It was always a tough place as a player and coach and it is no different as a manager, so to start the way we did and to score the goal when we did and be able to dampen the crowd and have the possession in the first half, I was delighted.”

Troy Deeney came on for Marvin Sordell at half time and Mackay confirmed the young striker went off injured.

Mackay said: “Marvin had a tightness in his hamstring at half time and I just felt that looking at it I didn’t want to take a risk basically, I have to keep them all fit.

“It was only a tightness but we felt Troy was fresh and ready to go in and he proved that in the second half.”

Middlesbrough loanee Andrew Taylor was also substituted with 20 minutes remaining due to injury.

Mackay explained: “Andrew got a whack on his calf in the first half and it started stiffening up. He had to stay on his feet at half time and was unable to sit down and it got worse as the game went on, so that is something we now have two weeks to control.”

The third change was the introduction of Stephen McGinn around the hour mark, which extended Will Buckley’s surprising record of failing to play a full 90 minutes this season.

When asked if the continued substitution of Buckley was due to a lack of fitness, Mackay replied “it is tactical.”