Mental strength boosts Leeds

The atmosphere inside the Galpharm Stadium is certain to be highly-charged on Saturday as the county's two League One rivals go head-to-head.

Town are looking to record a third consecutive victory on home soil over Leeds since derby hostilities were resumed following the Elland Road club's relegation from the second tier in 2007.

But Snodgrass, who was in the United side beaten 1-0 by the Terriers a little over a year ago, believes Simon Grayson's second-placed side have what it takes to prevail in the lunchtime kick-off.

"Every game against Huddersfield is intense," he said.

"It will be a good atmosphere, as you would expect from a derby. But what we need to do is treat it as a normal game. We must relax and realise we can grind teams down and grind results out.

"When I first came here (in the summer of 2008), that was possibly something we would have been unable to do. But this season we have done it.

"Maybe we have not been doing it too much of late but I thought we showed what we are about against Oldham (on Tuesday night in a 2-0 win) when we dug deep."

Along with local pride, three vital points are at stake on Saturday as the two promotion hopefuls look to strengthen their respective pushes for the Championship.

Leeds, thanks to a stunning first half of the season, are the better placed of the two with victory over Oldham having nudged Grayson's men four points clear of third-placed Colchester United.

Huddersfield are nine points behind their West Yorkshire rivals in sixth place, but boast by far the more impressive recent run of form.

Tuesday night's 2-0 win at Tranmere Rovers extended their unbeaten league run to 10 games and moved them back into the play-off places. It also maintained the club's hopes of making a dramatic late push for automatic promotion.

Snodgrass admits the excellent form of Huddersfield, Swindon Town and Colchester United together with Leeds's own indifferent form has offered hope to the chasing pack.

However, the Scot insists United have what it takes to go on and clinch automatic promotion.

He said: "Results may not have gone for us in recent weeks but we have still shown our battling tendencies by getting so many late goals.

"We need to show that determination between now and the end of the season. The win over Oldham was an important result. Getting in front was important. It was what we have been craving. We are not an average side and we have a lot of individual talent.

"It was good for that talent to come together as a team performance on such a freezing night. We had to roll our sleeves up and work hard."

On the race for the Championship, Snodgrass added: "There are a lot of teams chasing us. Swindon and Colchester are doing well and the team with the character and mental toughness will be the ones who make it at the end of the season.

"We will be up there because we have a lot of mental character in the squad, which can only help us. The others have to chase us.

"I know we have not lived up to expectations at times in recent weeks and the fans have got frustrated. But we are the type to dig deep and go on another good run of results.

"Huddersfield are a good side but we can take the three points. We will approach the game in exactly the same way as we did against Oldham. It being a derby will not change that."

Leeds continue to close in on a short-term deal to bring Paul Dickov to Elland Road.

The 37-year-old has been training with United for much of the past three weeks and Grayson is keen to add the Scot's experience to the squad for the run-in.

Even if a deal is agreed before the weekend, however, Dickov seems unlikely to start due to Luciano Becchio having continued his return to goalscoring form by netting twice against Oldham.

Grayson said: "Luciano has had a difficult season because he missed six to eight weeks with an ankle injury. It has been difficult to rediscover his form but now, with a couple of goals behind him, Luciano can kick on.

"It should give him the belief to go on and get the six, eight, ten goals to help us win promotion."