Last updated on .From the section Championship

Nouha Dicko's goal was his seventh of the season, two of which came for Wolves

Hull City moved three points clear of the Championship relegation zone with a vital win over Sheffield United.

The game was briefly halted in a largely uneventful first half when home fans threw sponge balls on to the pitch in protest against the club's owners.

Nouha Dicko gave the hosts the lead with a fine finish after a neat ball from Jackson Irvine.

The Blades looked for an equaliser but home goalkeeper Allan McGregor was never really tested.

Defeat means Chris Wilder's side missed the chance to climb above Bristol City and back into the play-off places, while Hull climb above Birmingham City to 20th in the table.

Although Evandro forced a save out of Blades keeper Jamal Blackman early on, the flow of the first half was disrupted by the 20th-minute sponge ball protest, which was followed 10 minutes later by a number of home fans blowing whistles.

John Fleck fired narrowly wide for the visitors just before the break and Billy Sharp was denied by McGregor at the start of the second half as Sheffield United threatened to get on top.

But, moments after seeing a shot tipped behind by Blackman, Dicko calmly fired in from 10 yards following the resulting corner for his fifth goal for Hull since joining from Wolves in August.

The Blades struggled to create chances to get back into the game and were grateful to Blackman for keeping out Adama Diomande's header as Hull sought a second.

Hull City boss Nigel Adkins told BBC Radio Humberside:

"It was another good performance from the players, with the whole group contributing.

"That's seven undefeated now at home and the supporters played their role and got behind the team at important stages of the game.

"The players grafted their socks off and it was a well-deserved 1-0 victory."

On the protests: "I was annoyed by the stoppage because I thought we were on top. Fortunately we kept going, but it could have gone the other way.

"We could have done without it but the protests are all done now and hopefully people can sit around the table and sort it out."

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield:

"We didn't deserve anything from the game and I'm wasting my time and energy thinking we're going to get into the top six because to produce a performance like we have with everything at stake is not good enough, and won't be good enough to get in the top six.

"I've told he players that.

"I thought we'd got ourselves back on track by winning two big games of football and thought we could go and win a third but we produced a flat performance from start to finish.

"Every part of our game was below the standards that we've set. We've not shown the qualities that are needed to get in the play-offs."