Burnley boss Vincent Kompany delighted with birthday victory over Sheffield United to cap a "special" week

The Clarets boss celebrated his 37th birthday with victory over second place Blades as his side placed one hand on the Championship trophy.

The league leaders stretched their lead at the top to 14 points with just 18 left to play for thanks to substitute Johann Berg Gudmundsson's double at Turf Moor.

After backing up their victory over Middlesbrough at the Riverside on Good Friday, which secured promotion to the Premier League, the ex-Manchester City defender said: "I couldn't have hoped for better; six points against the two best teams in the league behind us.

"It was a pretty special week. It would've been difficult for these results to affect anything we've done this season, but this game was a bit special for us for what happened in the away game.

"We did what we needed to do. For us history will remember that we had Middlesbrough away, Sheffield United, and we came out with six points like we have so many times this season. The lads can be proud of that.

"Six points out of six against Middlesbrough and Sheffield United, with all the emotions involved as well, which adds a little bit of pressure, even if it's positive pressure, it's been a good experience for the group. I think they'll progress from these moments."

The visitors, who own a five point advantage over Luton Town in the race for automatic promotion, were reduced to 10 men after just 17 minutes when Wes Foderingham was dismissed for denying Nathan Tella a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

They stayed compact and made life difficult for the Clarets, who scored twice in the second half after being held by their Steel City opponents at the break.

However, Kompany was pleased with the response. "I had some question marks for the beginning of the first half, it's a young group, with very few players who have won anything, so the beginning was a little more cagey than it needed to be.

"I'm not saying Sheffield had the better of the game, but it was cagey, which you sometimes expect these top games to be.

"I did question the beginning and then at half-time we reminded ourselves that we can't ever lower our standards. The second half was what it needed to be when you're playing against a top team. I was really pleased with what we showed afterwards.

"It can still be an awkward game against 10 men and then you have to do what we did during the game, which is nullify the threat, keep control, keep good possession of the ball and be dangerous in moments."