United women head coach Neil Redfearn says he is looking at the 'bigger picture' but admits his players are sore after Wednesday night's loss to Durham in the Continental League Cup.

The defeat all but ends United's chances of progression to the knockout stages, but with a quick turnaround to this weekend's crunch encounter with Liverpool in the league and a rematch with Durham, who sit level on points with the Blades, next Sunday, there's no time to dwell.

"I thought first half we were the better side and created the better chances," said Redfearn. "Courtney got brought down early in the second which was a penalty for me, but we probably should have been leading at half-time and against the better sides you have to put your chances away."

Redfearn used the cup match as an opportunity to give minutes to some of his younger players, with 16-year-old Lucy Watson getting her first start after making her debut last Sunday against Crystal Palace.

17-year-old Keri Matthews also made her first start of the new season, while Rhema Lord-Mears and Courtney Sweetman-Kirk also started, with Katie Wilkinson, Jade Pennock and Mel Johnson on the bench.

Despite defeat, Redfearn was pleased with the players who came in.

"It disrupts things a bit when you make changes, but the league is the priority and I was really pleased with those who came in. Lucy and Keri were great, Rhema looked good again and Courtney looked good up to.

"It was the plan to bring them off at half-time and in the second half we just had a mad half an hour where we didn't defend properly, we got isolated and they counter attacked really well."

Five of Durham's six goals came in a crazy last 40 minutes of the game, a game the Blades had been on top in until a penalty gifted the visitors the lead right on half-time.

After Pennock, Wilkinson and Johnson were introduced at half-time, the hosts missed several big chances as well as being denied a penalty, and Redfearn aims to quickly put the defeat and the result in the past.

"Durham are a good side, they played good football and I'm not too down. From the game's point of view, I knew what I wanted to get out of it, it was important to get players like Keri and Lucy some minutes.

"I can't stand here and start having a go at a back four that's kept four clean sheets in a row. It's just one of those nights where they've had a big purple patch for half an hour. That's the end of it and we move on."

Attention now quickly turns to Sunday's trip to Liverpool. Vicky Jepson's side currently sit third in the FA Women's Championship, three points behind United, before a rematch against Durham next Sunday, with the two sides only split by the Blades' superior goal difference.

"I said to the girls after the game, whatever happened last night, it doesn't change that we have to go and beat Liverpool. That's the priority, that doesn't change whatever happened last night."

Redfearn is also keen to look at the season as a whole, with the Blades sitting top of the table after six games and are yet to lose a match, with some teams who are full-time sat below the Blades in the table.

"We've had a great season so far, we're top of the league. The games that matter are the ones coming up. The girls are sore because nobody wants to lose 6-0, but the pressure now is on those full-time teams around us.

"We're doing great, if I was any of those teams I'd be gutted that Sheffield United are top, because we're part-time."

With the side unbeaten having won four and drawn two of their six league games so far, and a goal difference of plus 13 after four consecutive clean sheets, Redfearn believes last Sunday's win against Crystal Palace will help maintain momentum and believes the league this year is stronger than ever.

"We have to keep going and make sure the process sticks. We can't be exposed like we were last night, but I'm so pleased with them all so far this season. Last Sunday was a massive result, the full-time teams don't have somebody who has to go off to work so you're missing your best defender, you have to manage things like that.

"The amount of teams now who can take points off each other, the results now aren't defining because there's so many games left. You look at teams like Lewes and the results they've had, we just have to concentrate on us and keep reaching the levels that we reach."

Reflecting on Wednesday's defeat, Redfearn said, "You can't ever be happy with conceding five or six and I've never seen us like that and I'd never seen that coming given how well we've defended, but we did go after them a bit, we left only two in midfield and when you stretch yourselves against better sides, you can get done and I probably have to take some responsibility for that."

Redfearn focused on bigger picture ahead of big week