Huddersfield Town 1 Hull City 2: Tigers' gritty win very harsh on Terriers but hosts' performance gives cause for optimism

For the Terriers to lose it will have been as devastating as it was delightful for the visitng fans who gleefully sang "Something tells me I'm into something good" in the sulphurous air.

Even so, Andre Breitenreiter, waiting for the visa which will allow him to start work as Huddersfield's new manager, will not have been too downhearted at what he saw.

The six points Jon Worthington has added to the Terriers' tally during his four matches as caretaker manager could be invaluable, but more than that he has showcased – maybe as much to the players as their manager-in-waiting – what the squad is capable of in a way that Darren Moore just was not able to.

They thought they had a seventh point during a remarkable spell of little more than a minute which saw Jaden Philogene hit a post for Hull and Huddersfield respond with a Jack Rudoni equaliser, only for centre-back Jacob Greaves to go down the other end and secure a 2-1 win.

They would have deserved it too, having hit a post through Sorba Thomas at 1-0 and played with the positivity their chairman demands.

For a side whose flair is not represented in the league table, Hull are surprisingly good at gritty victories and their fourth win in five matches, having spent long periods on the back foot in heavy rain keeps them firmly in a tight race for the Championship's last two play-off places.

Players of Hull's quality can easily cut you open, so giving them a headstart with sloppy marking at a set piece is the last thing you want to do but having made their mistake, Town did well to make sure the game never ran away from them until they let it slip right at the death.

Six minutes in Huddersfield conceded from a corner won when Lee Nicholls pulled off a good save to deny Philogene.

Greaves was left in too much space from the flag kick which followed, headed on by his central defensive partner Alfie Jones, and although Nicholls got a glove to his controlled volley, it was not enough to keep it out of the net.

But watching from the stands Breitenreiter saw a group of players better equipped for the high-pressing football he believes in.

The best example came 22 minutes in, when it was holding midfielder Jonathan Hogg in Ryan Allsop's face, forcing the error which saw the ball drop to Josh Koroma, only for him to balloon his shot.

Allsop and Hull always give you a chance when they have the ball deep – Koroma's chance did not come direct from the goalkeeper but an unhelpful pass into Jones with his back to goal – but it was the way Rosenior and many modern coaches like to play. Do not be surprised if Breitenreiter has Nicholls doing it too.

The longer the half went on, the kore the Terriers grew into their task.

Alex Matos' 28th minute shot was lacking enough power to become a pass into Koroma, who span on it without hitting the target with his shot.

Sorba Thomas won the ball off Hull substitute Matty Jacob, on at right-back, but Ben Wiles' touch let him down when he was slipped in. He forced a good save minutes later, though, coming in off the right.

Philogene put a similar chance well wide coming off Hull's left but it was generally Huddersfield in command as the sides wnet in for the break, Radinio Balker shooting over after being worked in at the edge of the area.

The half-time break did nothing to ease the pressure on Hull.

The introductions of Delano Burgzorg and Brahima Diarra in particular – David Kasumu came on too – lifted Huddersfield's levels.

Diarra nearly made something of it as Jones tried and failed to shepherd a throw-in over his goalline but at that stage of the game a lack of targets for crosses was a feature at both ends.

Diarra dragged a couple of shots wide and when he turned strongly again, he played in Thomas, whose shot deflected onto a post after 72 minutes.

Allsop stopped a Burgzorg strike without holding it, sparking a scramble he came out on top in.

But the fireworks were just about to start.

Philogene, Tuesday's hero, could have won it as he broke from a corner in the 92nd minute, and Rudoni thought he had claimed a point with a shot the goalkeeper perhaps ought to have kept out.

But Greaves galloped forward to get on the end of Abdulkadir Omur's centre and bury a diving header for a dramatic win.

Huddersfield Town: Nicholls; Pearson, Balker, Lees, Spencer; Matos (Diarra 55), Hogg (Ward 76); Rudoni, Wiles (Kasumu 55), Thomas; Koroma (Burgzorg 55).

Unused substitutes: Radulovic, Maxwell, Jones, Jackson, Nakayama.

Hull City: Allsop; Slater, Jones, Greaves, Giles; Tufan (Coyle 76), Morton (Jacob 32); Philogene, Carvalho (Omur 63), Zaroury (Docherty 63); Sharp (Ohio HT).

Unused substitutes: McLoughlin, Traore, Pandur, Connolly.

Referee: R Welch (Washington).