Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell praised his side after a slender win over Bristol City kept alive their hopes of making the Coca-Cola Championship play-offs.
Gary Speed's double cancelled out Michael McIndoe's opener from the penalty spot to leave the Blades just two points behind sixth-placed Crystal Palace.
They travel to Southampton next weekend heavily relying on other results to go in their favour, but Blackwell was quick to salute his side for hauling themselves back into contention.
"I can't thank or praise the players enough - they were fantastic," he said.
"I did say to the players on deadline day that I wouldn't bring in anyone else because I didn't think there was anybody as good as what we had got.
"But I did say I might have to ask players to do jobs outside their remit. And three or four of them played out of their remit and did a fantastic job.
"They deserve all the credit because there's no doubt if this had been the first half of the season then we'd have been clear by about 12 points.
"We go into the last game of the season with all to play for. Eight weeks ago we were four points off relegation so I can't praise the players enough for what they've done.
"If we're being honest no one would have given us a sniff of being anywhere near the play-offs, particularly on the last day of the season. We're the people that everyone is looking over their shoulders at."
Blackwell, who is only contracted to the Bramall Lane club until the end of the season, was remaining tight-lipped over his own future, but did reveal he was set to have talks with chairman Kevin McCabe this weekend.
He added: "I'll be speaking to Kevin over the weekend. We've got a meeting that has always been arranged and I'm sure we'll have a chat about it.
"There's a lot of things to talk about. This is a progressive club and there's a lot of things we need to get in place. I'm sure there's a whole remit of things we'll talk about over the weekend."
Despite the defeat Bristol City confirmed their spot in the play-offs and boss Gary Johnson admitted it was a "massive relief" to have finally secured a top-six finish.
He said: "It's a massive relief. We've got to be professional now and be ready for whoever we play - and we will be.
"The players deserve what's happening to them.
"What we don't want to do is pick a team out and say we'd like to play them and not get them. You've just got to be prepared for any team.
"The good thing is that we know it's going to be us.
"We haven't got the feeling that any team we could come up against is going to trounce us because nobody has taken six points off us this season.
"We are confident in that knowledge."
They travel to Southampton next weekend heavily relying on other results to go in their favour, but Blackwell was quick to salute his side for hauling themselves back into contention.
"I can't thank or praise the players enough - they were fantastic," he said.
"I did say to the players on deadline day that I wouldn't bring in anyone else because I didn't think there was anybody as good as what we had got.
"But I did say I might have to ask players to do jobs outside their remit. And three or four of them played out of their remit and did a fantastic job.
"They deserve all the credit because there's no doubt if this had been the first half of the season then we'd have been clear by about 12 points.
"We go into the last game of the season with all to play for. Eight weeks ago we were four points off relegation so I can't praise the players enough for what they've done.
"If we're being honest no one would have given us a sniff of being anywhere near the play-offs, particularly on the last day of the season. We're the people that everyone is looking over their shoulders at."
Blackwell, who is only contracted to the Bramall Lane club until the end of the season, was remaining tight-lipped over his own future, but did reveal he was set to have talks with chairman Kevin McCabe this weekend.
He added: "I'll be speaking to Kevin over the weekend. We've got a meeting that has always been arranged and I'm sure we'll have a chat about it.
"There's a lot of things to talk about. This is a progressive club and there's a lot of things we need to get in place. I'm sure there's a whole remit of things we'll talk about over the weekend."
Despite the defeat Bristol City confirmed their spot in the play-offs and boss Gary Johnson admitted it was a "massive relief" to have finally secured a top-six finish.
He said: "It's a massive relief. We've got to be professional now and be ready for whoever we play - and we will be.
"The players deserve what's happening to them.
"What we don't want to do is pick a team out and say we'd like to play them and not get them. You've just got to be prepared for any team.
"The good thing is that we know it's going to be us.
"We haven't got the feeling that any team we could come up against is going to trounce us because nobody has taken six points off us this season.
"We are confident in that knowledge."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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