SAM Allardyce hailed his industrious strikers for having the patience and determination to claim a victory that has boosted Wanderers hopes of qualifying for Europe.

The Whites ended a three-match losing streak with a much-needed win against Sheffield United at the Reebok on Saturday.

But they had to wait until 10 minutes from time before Kevin Davies - in only his second appearance following a six-match lay-off with a broken foot - secured the points with the only goal of a game that looked to be heading for a stalemate.

Time and again Wanderers were frustrated, struggling to break down a stubborn Sheffield defence and, when they managed to create chances, they either failed to take them, or were foiled by the brilliant Blades keeper, Paddy Kenny.

Davies and his co-strikers Nicolas Anelka and El-Hadji Diouf were all thwarted by Kenny, but there was no signs of anxiety, despite the importance of the game, and the only time Wanderers looked uncomfortable was in the final 10 minutes when Neil Warnock's side went all out for an equaliser.

"The front three caused a lot of problems for Sheffield United," said a delighted Allardyce.

"They kept pressure on them and kept us going forward until finally they cracked.

"They kept withstanding the pressure either by good defending, our misplaced passes, poor finishing or some great goalkeeping.

"I don't think we've ever had so many throw-ins, corners or free kicks in one game and we didn't capitalise on that. But it heaped a whole load of pressure on them and, finally, we got a quality goal that deserved to win the game.

"That quality came from Kevin Davies. He is still not right on top of his game yet because of his long lay-off but he made a crucial contribution."

It might have been a different story had Jussi Jaaskelainen not pulled off impressive saves to deny Mikele Leigertwood and Michael Tonge at 0-0, and Allardyce himself admitted he was starting to wonder if things might turn sour.

"There's that old feeling you get when you've had all the chances and all the opportunities that you're going to push further forward and leave a little gap at the back, which we did," he added.

"But all their chances came outside the box and weren't exactly clear-cut. Although they were a little concerning, they were saves I'd expect Jussi to make.

"In the end it was a terrific victory and a very big three points. Hopefully, that will put some of the confidence back into the players because, overall, it was a very good performance by all of them, a very good effort against a Sheffield United side that is fighting for its Premiership life."

Allardyce, who said in advance that the game would be "make or break" in the battle for European qualification, believes his side are back on track for a UEFA Cup spot.

"With seven games to go, we've finally got onto 50 points," he said. "Our best ever total was 58 so that's the first barrier we have to beat and, hopefully, we'll get to the 60 point mark and then beyond that if possible. Hopefully, this will give us the confidence to do that.

"We've never been out of the top six all season and to fall out now, at the death, would be a crushing blow.

"These crucial three points meant nobody over the weekend could get that fifth spot from us, so it's still very much in our hands. We must hang onto it now.

"The aim is to sustain that position and make sure we qualify for the UEFA Cup and this has gone a long way to doing that.

"Having nothing else to go for other than the Premiership, we should have kept the pressure on the mighty four' longer than we did. But we haven't managed to do that. We have to accept that but it's very difficult for us to sustain what we do on the resources that we have.

"The aim now is to make sure we are in this position when the final whistle blows in May."