"We were excellent defensively and really showed we could shut them down.
"It might not have looked too pretty at times, but we managed to grind them down and get a result.
And on goalscorer Jonathan Stead, who came off the bench to score the all important winner, Hughes commented: "Everyone is really delighted for Jon, he has been working really hard and deserved to score.
"He came on under difficult circumstances, but he made a real impact and showed his true mettle with a tremendous finish."