Huddersfield Town 1 Leeds United 1: Unity, personality and character and this time it applies to Town and not Leeds - final word on derby day

After the bright lights of London out west three days earlier when they looked pretty in pink, Leeds United were caught in the west of their home county and Huddersfield Town had the spring in their step and their chairman was suitably pleased, understandably so.

The daffodils are out and at time of year, these things happen, even to the well-heeled. Leeds made the short trip along the A62 with a league run to die for, but bumps in the road occur for those approaching the fast lane. Unless you are extremely fortunate.

Town may not have bagged three points, but they still had their moment. One was plenty.

Especially when their rivals were chasing a club-record tenth successive league victory. It had to end somewhere and it did.

At the end of proceedings, Town’s popular stadium announcer Paul Ramsden gave out the attendance and wished the Leeds followers a safe trip home along with a stinging caveat: ‘We look forward to seeing you again next season.’

It was cheeky and Leeds have plenty in their armoury to make sure they don’t, in fairness. We’ll see.

Daniel Farke had one or two minor grumbles at what he saw, but took things on the chin in the main.

Town’s tactics - clockwatching and combative - weren’t to his liking. Neither was the pitch and he doesn’t like Saturday lunch-time kick-offs either. But he surely knew what to expect and he had the good manners to give credit where it’s due.

Huddersfield, with a man light for the entire second half after captain Jonathan Hogg’s silly dismissal, parked the bus and did ‘brilliantly’ in Farke’s view.

It was impossible not to concur and what did he expect in any case.

On several occasions so far this year, Farke has hailed Leeds’ character, resolve and personality - he certainly did in their previous league game against Leicester and rightly so.

This time it was Huddersfield’s turn. On this evidence, they have a fair bit in their own dressing room.

From a proud old defensive warrior in Tom Lees, a lad from Northern Ireland in Brodie Spencer who plays like a veteran but is still a teenager to a peroxide blond in Jack Rudoni who was here, there and everywhere, Town stood up and were not to be moved.

Results elsewhere for Ipswich and Southampton ensured it was not a particularly good day for Leeds.

Rival scores did not favour Town either, but if those in blue and white continue to take care of their side of the bargain as they did on Saturday, they will be fine.

Their spirit, organisation, togetherness and game management was commendable in the circumstances.

Just two games into his Terriers journey, Andre Breitenreiter will reflect on what he has got as opposed to what he hasn’t.

In his first home game in charge, there was much to his liking - aside from the dismissal of his captain who should have known better.

Jonathan Hogg, on a booking after clumping Crysencio Summerville, caught Junior Firpo with an errant elbow and off he popped on the stroke of half-time.

Breitenreiter revealed that Hogg apologised to his team-mates in the dressing room afterwards. They had his back, fortunately.

Those in home colours attended to Leeds’ gun players pretty well.

Two rich talents whom Breitenreiter knows well from his time at Zurich and Hoffenheim in Willy Gnonto and Georginio Rutter were looked after and it took a triple substitution just after the hour mark to ensure that a testing day for Leeds did not become a bad one.

Dan James slotted in Connor Roberts on the right and his cross was dispatched at close quarters by Patrick Bamford, who slid the ball home from close range midway through the second half. It was the first chance Leeds had created with an extra player.

When it was 11 v 11, Huddersfield posted more discernible danger.

Rudoni tested the reactions of Illan Meslier on two occasions early on, while Lee Nicholls had little to do aside from a stop in the first 10 minutes to deny Summerville, who also clipped the post late on.

The set-piece deliveries of Sorba Thomas, back in the side after his partner gave birth, were bothersome for Leeds.

One led to their goal with the returning Michal Helik, on as a substitute in his comeback game, netting a rebound after Meslier blocked Danny Ward’s header.

Hogg’s dismissal changed things. That Town did not look unduly worried was all power to them. Those Terriers fans who left at half-time at Elland Road stayed to the end this time.

Huddersfield Town: Nicholls; Spencer (Headley 73), Pearson, Lees, Nakayama (Helik 26); Hogg, Rudoni, Kasumu; Thomas, Ward (Matos 45), Burgzorg (Koroma 73). Unused substitutes: Maxwell, Radulovic, Diarra, Edwards, Wiles.

Leeds United: Meslier; Gray (Roberts 62), Rodon, Ampadu, Firpo (Anthony 86); Gruev, Kamara (Piroe 62), Gnonto (James 62), Rutter, Summerville; Bamford. Unused substitutes: Darlow, Cresswell, Cooper, Byram, Joseph.

Referee: A Kitchen (Durham).

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