Michael Duff on Huddersfield Town's 'statement' win at Wycombe Wanderers spicing up the intrigue at top of League One

In arguably their biggest match since their October 7 home derby with Barnsley - one that was consequential for different reasons - the result was the be-all and end-all for Town, not how it arrived.

Style was a bonus. It was all about substance. In the event, Michael Duff’s side showed a bit of one and a lot of the other.

The silk arrived by way of Herbie Kane’s sublime early volley to settle the contest. The steel was displayed during the second half as Wycombe pressed strongly and Town refused to go under.

In that aforesaid contest with Barnsley, Town showed they possessed a strong jaw at a time when Duff’s reign was being openly questioned by sections of the Terriers support following a wretched sequence of seven losses in eight matches in all competitions.

Another defeat could well have been the tipping point for many more followers.

Those in Huddersfield colours found a way and haven’t looked back since. It was a turning point in their season.

Tuesday’s game had a bit of a similar feel. Should Town have been beaten by a direct rival who could have gone top, then it would have represented a major blow to their top-two hopes. Instead, they put themselves firmly in the picture.

They are four points behind second-placed Wycombe and the team just behind them on goal difference in Wrexham with a game in hand on both.

Before the end of the season, they must play them at home and also welcome title favourites Birmingham City later this month.

Tuesday was useful preparation in that regard, while Duff was happy enough to use the word statement in his description of it.

Duff said: "It was a really pleasing result. This is the time of year where you are not really bothered about performance. Everyone looks at results.

"The previous two results had deserved wins and we didn’t get them. In terms of the two teams in and around us in Wycombe and Stockport, we’ve managed to win those (recent) games.

"They are probably even more valuable than losing against them and beating the teams at the bottom - and not picking up enough points in your part of the table.

"The big one was that the rest of the league was watching this one and that’s why it’s a statement win because everyone else in the league were looking and going ‘oh go on then.’

"We are in that weird ‘middle ground’ where it’s ‘are we going to drop in (to the play-off pack) or go up (push for the top two).’ We are becoming a tough nut to crack and then we are hoping to add."

Defence is certainly not where Town will be looking for signings, with their iron-clad resolve having underpinned their outstanding 15-match unbeaten run at league level since the start of October.

Only Birmingham (17) and Wrexham (18) have conceded further goals this term than Town (19).

The sight of Radinho Balker making his first appearance of the season after being out with an ankle fracture since pre-season - the big centre-half came on as a 71st-minute substitute - added gloss in Buckinghamshire.

It was a night which was not completely straightforward, that said. It rarely is with Town, who were without Michal Helik due to sickness.

Fortunately, his replacement in Matty Pearson stepped up magnificently on an occasion when he and Tom Lees delivered a textbook lesson on the art of defending against hosts who went direct for fair spells.

Their manager, a former centre-half of similarly solid standing and someone well placed to comment, liked what he saw.

Duff added: "I’d have enjoyed that game. It was muck and nettles and balls coming in from everywhere.

"You’d think they were bouncing bombs in there at one point and Matty and Leesy were heading it.

"That is when they were running out of ideas because when they started crashing it, we were quite happy at that point because we are sitting in a back five and didn’t have to jump out. I thought to a man they all stood to task."

While Town’s unbeaten sequence continues, so does the disruption. Here it was Helik and Duff is probably forgiven for thinking what comes next.

He quipped: "We got the news about Micha and it was ‘well, nothing else can go wrong.’ You are expecting the bus to break down or bus driver to fall down the stairs or something. At some point, you are thinking Jeremy Beadle is going to walk around the corner and it’s a prank.

"There was a real buzz in there after. It’s a big win, but only one if you back it up."

A caveat, as ever with Duff.