Leeds United 1 Huddersfield Town 2: Warnock’s final bid for glory dashed in derby

They will now care to remember the moment the Terriers ended his dreams of a record eighth promotion – and their fiercest rivals’ top-six hopes in the process – some 18 seasons on.

The sun is setting on Warnock’s long managerial career with the 64-year-old ceding that Town’s late victory – courtesy of an 87th-minute strike from top-scorer James Vaughan – inflicted a near-fatal blow to Leeds United’s play-off quest.

While talk was of the future in Warnock’s after-match press conference with the season effectively over for Leeds, Town’s campaign remains very much in the melting pot.

If they do hang onto their Championship tenure in May after striving so hard to get here over many years, expect many to pinpoint Vaughan’s late strike as being perhaps the pivotal moment – the man himself labelling the goal as the ‘biggest of my career’ following the game.

The explosion of joy among the away contingent when Vaughan slotted home in front of the Kop contrasted markedly with the gloom that quickly enveloped the rest of Elland Road.

Many instantly made for the exits with Warnock now himself in transit and heading towards the departure gates with semi-retirement in his beloved Cornwall on the horizon.

The Yorkshireman reiterated his willingness to step aside now if owners GFH Capital believe an immediate change is in the best interests of the club.

Equally, he is also prepared to hold the fort for what will basically be an interregnum between now and season’s end to give the board time before deciding upon the club’s next long-term manager.

Warnock said: “The thing about me is that whatever decision they (GFH) make, I am agreeable to it. I will accept it.

“I think they have got to get the best guy for the job and that does not just mean whoever is available. It means whoever is best.

“It might be that they cannot get him until the summer and if that is the case, why don’t I stay on and try and win every game?

“If they can get the best man (now), then I will stand aside. I would never stand in the way of the club who want to change direction. Salem (Patel), Hisham (Alrayes) and the others know that.

“But it is no good just letting me go to appease people or to be seen to be doing the right thing.

“Everyone knows I will be gone soon enough. From their point of view, they have got to bring in the right man. This club needs a top manager – the top manager. In the meantime, I can hold the reins.”

Warnock’s future may have hogged the post-match agenda, but across the A62, Town’s punters were too busy saluting goal hero Vaughan to notice.

Back from a two-match suspension, the frontman crowned a workaholic display with an ice-cool finish after being sent clear by Jack Hunt three minutes from time.

It turned a good result into a great one for Town, with the victory even more priceless given wins for Wolves, Peterborough United and Barnsley with the derby success preserving the five-point buffer between themselves and the Championship drop zone.

Five points is also the distance now separating 16th-placed Town and Leeds, who are 10th and while Vaughan basked in the glow of his match-winning strike, the player entitled to the broadest smile was former Whites midfielder Adam Clayton.

Unceremoniously booed by the United faithful, particularly in the first half when he struggled to make a positive impression, Clayton, whose exuberant celebration in front of Warnock after netting a penalty in the reverse fixture at Huddersfield on December 1 rankled many Whites fans, had the last laugh.

Even if the special goal celebration he had planned if he netted at Elland Road did not get an airing.

He said: “Me and the missus stayed up a little bit on Friday, having a chat about the game – and what I would do if I scored.

“We had a little bit of a quiet celebration planned out. It was basically a sign to her; a little bit like Gareth Bale’s celebration, but not with a love heart.

“But Dannsy (Neil Danns) robbed my volley and scored himself (to make it 1-0) and I could not believe it.

“If he had not have scored that, I think we would have been scrapping in the tunnel!”

Shrugging aside the barracking he received, he added: “The boos and stuff were fun. I do not think it was malicious – but just part of the game.

“Football is a show. People come to watch and it is a pantomime and fun. I celebrated when I scored at Huddersfield last time and the Leeds fans booed me on Saturday – that is the way it goes.”

United had edged proceedings in the first period with Peter Clarke producing a heroic effort to block Luke Varney’s early goalbound header on the line before Alex Smithies produced a top-drawer save to deny the recalled El-Hadji Diouf.

That said, Town also had their moments with Vaughan smacking a header against the bar, and moments before the break Paddy Kenny made a stunning save to deny Danny Ward.

It took nine minutes of the second half for the opener to come when Danns volleyed home at the near post after Vaughan’s shot had been blocked. It was the loan midfielder’s first goal for Town.

The lead lasted just six minutes with substitute Aidan White netting with his first touch after nipping in front of Hunt following Tom Lees’s punt forward and heading home his first league goal and just the second of his career.

United went desperately close when Rudy Austin crashed a volley against the bar but it was ultimately Vaughan’s and Town’s day.