Cardiff City 1 Huddersfield Town 2: A near-perfect day for Neil Warnock as Terriers take a giant stride to safety

If a well-known brand of continental lager could deliver joyous away-days, this was it for Neil Warnock. Fittingly, in what could be his final game as a manager in the visitors' dug-out at a place he knows well.

There was passion, thrills and spills and the sort of excitement which makes the Championship so watchable in a bonkers final half-hour. There was also a touch of sentiment at the end as Cardiff City fans applauded their former manager.

Most importantly, there were three enormous points for Huddersfield Town. A point on Thursday against another of Warnock's old clubs in Sheffield United and the Terriers don't have to worry about a final-day nerve-shredder.

Warnock's masterful ability to see a game and react saw him make a telling interval substitution.

The player he brought on in Joseph Hungbo made the breakthrough, albeit thanks to an error.

A combination of Jack Simpson and Matty Pearson combined for the second. A perfect day was only marred by a late goal from Isaac Davies.

But at the end at the venue where Warnock enjoyed some of the happiest times of his epic managerial career, there was another delectable moment.

For those 2,000 Terriers supporters who got up at the crack of dawn to venture to the Prinicipality, there was mass relief.

Huddersfield are nearly there.

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His Terriers side flew out of the blocks early on with purpose with their pressing game and aggressive high line pegging back Cardiff.

Given the fact that Town were coming into the game on the back of a 12-day break, while Cardiff took the field just three days after emptying the tank physically and mentally on a huge night in their season at Rotherham, it was no surprise. They looked leggy, initially.

The visitors hinted at an opener when they manufactured a good chance for Jack Rudoni, whose shot was beaten out by Jak Alnwick.

The Town midfielder was presented with another excellent opportunity later on in the half after nice approach play by Brahim Diarra and Danny Ward, but Simpson made a telling last-ditch block.

Josh Koroma’s angled shot also forced Alnwick into work with Town getting in some promising situations on each flank.

That said, it was Cardiff who went closest to making the breakthrough and really should have drawn first blood not long before the interval.

The halves’ most polished moment of quality saw Jaden Philogene play a lovely give-and-go with Sory Kaba, on for the injured Kion Etete.

The goal was beckoning for Philogene. Relievingly, he tried to be too cute and delicate and his dink, instead of nestling in the net, hit the side-netting in a real let-off for Warnock’s side.

Warnock played his first card at the break with Hungbo entering the fray. He came on for Diarra, with a clear brief to trouble Cardiff’s rearguard with his pace and directness. What a card it was.

For Cardiff, Philogene was a growing danger. There were clear warning signs for Town and then the game gloriously changed.

Cardiff were ambushed after playing out from the back. Simpson’s pass to Romaine Sawyers was dodgy with Rudoni breathing down his neck.

Sawyers’ ball back to Cedric Kipre was much worse and sold his team-mate short. Hungbo was on it in a flash and did not pass up the gift and buried the opportunity.

Cardiff were spooked. More looseness ended in Headley blasting over. Town did not have long to wait for their second.

The Bluebirds clocked off from Rudoni’s free-kick on the right, which was inadvertently flicked towards the far post by Ryan Wintle. Pearson attacked the ball and headed it across goal, with his effort deflecting in off Simpson.

Chaos suddenly reigned in Cardiff’s backline. A madcap spell then saw Koroma smash a shot against the post and Headley’s follow-up hit the bar. Not long after, there was another commotion and Marc McGuinness cleared the ball off the line.

It was carnage in Cardiff’s box every time Huddersfield attacked. Unfortunately, Town then, inexplicably, displayed charity themselves and got in on the act.

A switch-off from a short corner was punished with Philogene’s low cross on the right finding Davies, who improvised instantly with his backheel catching Nicholls out.

The returning Town keeper then redeemed himself to make a full-stretch save to keep out Rubin Colwill’s curler.

It was Town’s day and Warnock’s. Nearly there.

Cardiff City: Alnwick; Romeo (Colwill 74), Kipre (Rinomhota 74), McGuinness, Simpson; Sawyers (Wickham 73), Wintle, Ralls (Davies 55); Ojo, Etete (Kaba 14), Philogene. Substitutes unused: Luthra, Ng.

Huddersfield Town: Nicholls; Pearson, Lees, Helik, Ruffels; Hogg, Rudoni; Koroma (Kasumu 82), Diarra (Hungbo 45), Headley; Ward (Rhodes 65). Substitutes unused: Vaclik, Edmonds-Green, Jackson, Waghorn.

Referee: M Salisbury (Lancashire).