Leeds United manager Neil Redfearn praised the "toughness and resilience" shown by his players to earn a slender 1-0 victory over Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium.
Alex Mowatt's goal six minutes after the restart proved to be the difference between the two sides on Saturday afternoon as the Whites moved up to 13th place in the Championship table.
The Yorkshire outfit had to withstand plenty of late pressure on what was a visibly worn pitch, and Redfearn was quick to hail the battling qualities on display after seeing his side stand firm.
"What they showed today was a toughness and resilience," he told the club's official website. "They've really competed, battled, fought and done the horrible stuff.
"It was something that was labelled against us before the turn of the year but it's something that we've found and got amongst ourselves now. We've got a system that suits the majority and we've got a way of playing.
"We knew the magnitude of the game today for both clubs and the importance of it for Wigan, but we didn't want to be the team that came unstuck. We've had a good day and we've got the points, which is the most important thing."
Leeds, who are now just two points off a place in the top half of the table, return to action next weekend when they face Nottingham Forest.
Daniel Lewis
