The Town’s wait for a first win under Matt Bloomfield continues but the Hatters can be encouraged by their performance despite a narrow defeat to promotion-chasing Sheffield United.

The result means the Hatters stay bottom of the table following Anel Ahmedhodzic’s goal 11 minutes from time – a goal that sent the Blades top of the Championship.

It was hard on the Town who looked anything but a side sitting in the relegation places after creating a number of chances – especially in a first half in which they dominated.

Showing seven changes to the side that lost at Sunderland in midweek the Hatters started well and on eight minutes Elijah Adebayo planted a header wide from close range after being found by Thelo Aasgaard’s cross.

The Town, roared on by the Kenilworth Road faithful, were playing some eye-catching football and on 15 minutes they went close again when the lively Aasgaard turned on the edge of the box and curled a shot onto the Blades’ crossbar with superb effort.

It was all the Hatters, playing with confidence and energy, and as they continued to press the Town should have led on 36 minutes when Aasgaard’s teasing cross from the left was volleyed over at the back-post by Adebayo.

Aasgaard, everywhere, shot low into Michael Cooper’s gloves moments later before Liam Walsh shot wide as half-time approached.

Thomas Kaminski had been a virtual spectator in the first half but the Town number one was called into the action just before the break when turning away Tyrese Campbell’s shot.

You always felt the Hatters needed to take advantage of their superiority in the first half and at half-time visiting boss Chris Wilder made two changes in a bid to quell the Town’s play.

And it had the desired effect as the visitors offered more of a threat going forward.

Four minutes after the restart – just after Carlton Morris’ header was stopped by Cooper – the Blades came mighty close to taking the lead when Ben Brereton-Diaz slid home at the back-post but his shot rebounded off the post.

It was a warning for the Hatters as the visitors upped the ante and on 69 minutes Brereton-Diaz swept a shot just over the bar from close range.

Back came the Town and Morris’ back-post header from Alfie Doughty’s free-kick was kept out by Cooper with 13 minutes as the Hatters looked to break the deadlock.

However, moments later the visitors struck. Kaminski kept out a bullet header from Vini Souza and the Town couldn’t clear their lines. Callum O’Hare helped the ball into the box to Ahmedhodzic’s path and the defender made no mistake from close range.

Behind, the Hatters rallied but the visitors showed the kind of nous in the closing stages that often is the sign of teams gunning for promotion.

Five added minutes came and went as the Blades held on to condemn the Town to a 10th league game in the Championship without victory.

It was hard to take for the Town but encouragement was there. Next up is a big one against Plymouth here on Wednesday night.

We’ll see you then.

Town: Kaminski, Bell, Jones, Naismith (sub Alli 90), McGuinness, Doughty, Nakamba (sub Baptiste 76), Walsh (sub Bowler 90), Aasgaard, Adebayo (sub Brown 69), Morris.

Subs not used: Krul, Walters, Andersen, Brown, Alli, Baptiste, Johnson, Nordås, Bowler.

Attendance: 11,461, including 1,324 from Sheffield United.