In a clash between two direct competitors for a play-off berth come the end of the campaign, a goal from Michael Hefele in the dying embers of the match at the John Smith’s Stadium saw Leeds United have inflicted upon them a cruel defeat by Huddersfield Town, who emerged as 2-1 victors on the day.

After a sprightly start from the visitors, substitute Izzy Brown fired the visitors into the lead on 27 minutes, arriving in the penalty area to convert Tommy Smith’s cross from the right flank past a despairing Rob Green. The hosts’ lead, one that was arguably established against the run of play, was soon eradicated by Chris Wood, who latched onto a Kyle Bartley flick on from a Pablo Hernandez cross, before keeping his composure and finishing the chance with cultured aplomb.

With the game seemingly destined to finish all square, defender MIchael Hefele prodded home an 89th minute winner from close range after Aaron Mooy’s deflected effort bounced fortuitously into his path. The goal sparked wild celebrations from home manager David Wagner, whose excessively ebullient reaction saw both dugouts descend into a chaotic melee.

The result sees the hosts rise above United in the table, but with 16 more matches to play with no less than 48 points on offer, Leeds still have everything to play for between this moment and the conclusion of the season. The first of those 16 fixtures is at home to relegation contenders Cardiff City, now under the tutelage of former Leeds manager Neil Warnock, at Elland Road next Saturday.

Team Lineups

Huddersfield Town (4-2-3-1) - Ward; Smith, Hefele, Schindler, Löwe; Hogg, Mooy; Kachunga, Palmer (Brown 25’), Parra (Lolley 65’); Quaner (Wells 65’).

Unused Substitutes: Coleman, Cranie, Hudson, Whitehead.

Leeds United (4-2-3-1) - Green; Ayling, Jansson, Bartley, Berardi; Vieira, Bridcutt; Doukara (Pedraza 62’), Hernandez (O’Kane 82’), Dallas (Barrow 77’); Wood.

Unused Substitutes: Silvestri, Coyle, Cooper, Antonsson.

First-Half

The first chance of note would fall to the visitors with merely four minutes of play elapsed. Pablo Hernandez fed Chris Wood who proceeded to lash a fierce effort toward goal that stung the palms of Huddersfield goalkeeper Danny Ward, who reacted alertly to the danger to beat the ball away.

Colin Quaner, a somewhat cumbersome German striker added from Bundesliga 2 outfit Union Berlin, was the first player to go close for the hosts. Kasey Palmer played in the former VFR Aalen forward with a precise through ball, before Quaner forced United ‘keeper Rob Green into a parried save with a venomous left-footed drive.

Quaner was firmly involved in the action once more just minutes later, when a clearance from visiting defender Pontus Jansson struck the German prior to the ball, thankfully for Leeds, sailing just over the top of the crossbar.

Huddersfield would take the lead a solitary minute later though, when substitute Izzy Brown, who had replaced the injured Palmer, slotted home from inside the penalty area after a pinpoint cross from Tommy Smith on the right channel.

The hosts’ lead would last for just one moment. A free-kick on the outskirts of Huddersfield’s penalty area was initially headed away by the Town defence, before Pablo Hernandez, a the first time of asking, delivered a sumptuous cross into the box that was flicked on by Kyle Bartley for Chris Wood to manipulate the ball and tap home from close range. A cultured finish from the New Zealand international, and his 21st goal of what has been a prolific campaign for the United talisman.

The response from David Wagner’s charges was a resurgent one, as the hosts immediately took the liberty of applying significant pressure upon the Leeds defence. Firstly, a volleyed effort from Elias Kachunga was met with an impeccably timed block by Gaetano Berardi, before Quaner was denied a second goal in Huddersfield colours when Rob Green produced a defiant save to deny the forward from close proximity.

United weathered this bout of pressure without ceding a second goal, and so the sides went in at half-time level.

HT - Huddersfield Town 1-1 Leeds United - Brown (27’), Wood (35’)

Second-Half

It would be United who would enjoy the first chance of the second period, with Stuart Dallas’ goalbound volley from a corner kick blocked by a Huddersfield defender.

Around ten minutes passed, before the profligate Quaner spurned his third goalscoring opportunity of the match; after being found by a cross from Brown at the back post, Quaner miscued his effort and Rob Green was able to save with relative ease.

Alfonso Pedraza, a 20 year-old winger who is regarded as being a rather prodigious talent in his native Spain, almost made a dream start to his Leeds United career after joining on loan from Villarreal on deadline day, charging upfield before seeing a left-footed strike, packed with power, beaten away by Ward for a corner.

On 82 minutes, FC Ingolstadt loanee Elias Kachunga passed up a glorious opportunity to regain the lead for his side; Christoph Schindler’s cross from the left was scuffed wide by the fleet-footed German winger.

There would be a decisive moment at the death however, as Aaron Mooy’s strike from distance was fortuitously deflected into the path of Michael Hefele, who prodded the ball home from just a matter of yards out in an impromptu moment to send the home supporters into euphoric raptures. The excessively exuberant celebrations of David Wagner that ensued as a direct consequence of the goal led to the former Borussia Dortmund man becoming embroiled in an unsavoury melee of sorts on the touchline, and one that most certainly took the gloss on his side’s victory.

FT - Huddersfield Town 2-1 Leeds United - Brown (27’), Hefele (89’) - Wood (35).

As anticipated, a high-octane game, chock-full of zeal, audacity, and ardour. The first-half was evenly contested, but Huddersfield seized the initiative in the second-half and capitalized on their opposition’s sheer incapability to efficiently retain possession to secure a deserved victory in this West Yorkshire Derby.

Man Of The Match

Michael Hefele (8.3 Statistical Match Rating)

The 26 year-old, formerly a promotion winner with Dynamo Dresden in his native Germany, netted the decisive winner for his team with his third goal in as many matches and was successful in every aerial duel that he contested.

Media: David Wagner and Garry Monk

David Wagner:

“It was a very tough game, a real derby; there were battles all over the pitch, Leeds played very well so credit to them but I think we deserved to win.

“We created a number of chances and we had the bigger chances to score the winner, then of course we scored at the end of the game.

“We said before it was a big game, the biggest game of our season and we are delighted with the result.”

Garry Monk:

“It is disappointing to lose against anyone in a local derby, especially Huddersfield.

"Fine margins make the difference, the deflection went for them and they got the goal, it was similar to the reverse fixture.

"I'm proud of my players today, we should have got something from the game.

"We have to take it on the chin, we'll make sure the hurt comes out in our next game.”

Match Statistics and Facts

Stats - (Hudds/Leeds)

Possession -  56% / 44%

Pass Success - 72% / 57%

Aerial Success - 63% / 37%

Shots - 15 / 7

On Target - 5 / 3

Tackles - 17 / 24

Corners - 7 / 5

Referee - Simon Hooper

Booked - Kachunga, Wells (Huddersfield). Ayling, Bartley, Hernandez, Jansson, Bridcutt (Leeds).

Attendance - 22,400

Writer’s Verdict

An exasperating defeat for ourselves, Garry Monk, and his charges, with the sheer acrimony of the game’s ending proving a difficult pill to consume. The truth of the matter is; we can lament the actions of David Wagner and bemoan the fortuitous deflection that aided Hefele in his netting of the decisive goal, but Huddersfield were the superior team on this particular occasion and we slumped to a deserved defeat.

Liam Bridcutt delivered what must be decreed as being his most perfunctory and error-strewn performance in a Leeds shirt to date, but collectively, United struggled to retain possession and their pitifully low pass completion rate rather encapsulates the nature of this defeat.

Monk and his players must not adopt a defeatist mentality, in spite of the rancorous end to the game’s proceedings. Two climacteric home clashes with Cardiff and Bristol City await, and there remains everything to play for in this, the most mutable and competitive division in the world.

And just finally - to the imbecilic moron who stood in one of the home terraces holding aloft a Turkish flag while waving it in the direction of our travelling contingent; you are an illegitimate supporter, a miscreant of the highest order, and you have brought nothing else other than shame upon yourself and your club.

Photo: Action Images

TimWhelan added 17:17 - Feb 5 It was a good start to the game from Leeds, but Huddersfield created more chances as it went on. It's a shame they got the winner so near the end, as a draw would have been a good result, but we've got a few easier fixtures coming up, so we've got the chance to make up some ground on the top sides.
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