Neil Warnock has Huddersfield Town exhausted and delighted with first win of 2023

They are the emotions he wants to be the norm at Huddersfield Town between now and May.

It is a good job the veteran manager looks after himself because coming from behind to win 2-1, seeing Birmingham City's Troy Deeney head against a post and miss a great chance, watching a relegation-threatened team hold out from the 49th minute only for a minimum 12 more to be added – further stoppages made it 15 – is not good for any heart, let alone a 74-year-old one.

Warnock proudly told how 19-year-old Etienne Camara had never worked so hard and spilt blood for the cause.

"I'm glad we haven't got a midweek game," admitted Warnock, who started work on Thursday. "I am tired at the minute."

For everyone of a Huddersfield persuasion their first win since December 29 was worth it.

Warnock admitted to a tear at kick-off, emerging at the last possible second to ramp up the excitement. He did not pass many empty seats on a post-match lap of honour.

"We'll have a few more than 500 at Burnley (for the next away game), we had 500 at Stoke, didn't we?" he smiled.

Emotion, passion, commitment, work ethic, all the Warnock hallmarks were there as Huddersfield pressed with intensity, threw themselves into tackles and in front of shots, and got the ball forward quickly when it was on.

But there is so much more to him than his "dinosaur" caricature.

Despite reminders of why Huddersfield are in the relegation zone – even now – there were nice passages of play through midfield.

Around old-warhorse displays from the platform of Tom Lees ("Mr Reliable"), Michal Helik, Matt Lowton ("until he decided to be Beckenbauer with his left foot") and Jonathan Hogg, plus Danny Ward brilliantly leading the line, was youthful excellence.

Far more than how Jaheim Headley controlled, composed himself and drilled in the winner was outstanding about the left-back.

Twenty-year-old Nicholas Bilokapic showed all sides of the modern goalkeeper, low saves from Juninho Bacuna and Tahith Chong, a rush out to deny Auston Trusty, rolling the ball to kick off Joseph Hungbo’s first goal in English football and picking out Headley Ederson-style.

There was cleverness in his selection, some of his seven changes from the team beaten at Stoke City on Wednesday far from obvious. Full-back Lowton was in a back three, winger Hungbo at centre-forward and midfielder David Kasumu wing-back for the first time as a Terrier.

It was Kasumu who lost Deeney for the opener – created, inevitably, by former Terrier Bacuna.

He more than made up for it but that punctured the mood built by a pre-match soundtrack from when Warnock was last Huddersfield manager, between 1993 and 1995.

Deeney might have been offside but Warnock stood impassive. Was this a miracle too far?

Huddersfield quickly responded, John Ruddy's spill of Jack Rudoni's deep free-kick giving Camara a chance hit against the woodwork.

Hogg was caught with a poor touch, rescued by Hannibal Mejbri's attempted pass.

The deflection Ward's shot took off Trusty almost dipped between Ruddy and the bar. Not quite. Lowton's cross after a tight one-two with Headley was just out of his reach.

Then a switch flicked. Bilokapic urged his team-mates upfield and rolled it for Kasumu to carry forward, then thread a lovely pass met with an even better Hungbo finish.

Suddenly many delirious fans were mentally drinking alcopops listening to a new Oasis CD whilst planning a trip to Wembley.

Deeney's diving header 20 seconds after the break hit a post and Headley scored three minutes later.

The final half-hour was fraught, Warnock encroaching onto the pitch a couple of times to get messages across. With time to pick his spot, Deeney failed.

The powerful acceleration of substitute Tyreece Simpson, like an expensive Land Rover, gave Birmingham something to think about but they pushed it to the back of their mind, sending Ruddy up for a corner in the 11th added minute.

Bilokapic made a few saves but was generally protected.

"Some of them have never worked so hard in their lives but that's standard practice now," warned Warnock.

Huddersfield have hope again.

Huddersfield Town: Bilokapic; Lees, Helik, Lowton; Kasumu, Rudoni, Hogg (Knockaert 71), Camara, Headley (Ruffels 64); Hungbo (Waghorn 64), Ward (Simpson 64). Unused substitutes: Koroma, Diarra, Smith.

Birmingham City: Ruddy; Sanderson (Chong 61), Dean, Trusty; Colin, Bacuna, Bielik (Gardner 81), Mejbri (Hall 81), Longelo; Hogan, Deeney (Jutkiewicz 71). Unused substitutes: Etheridge, James, Long.

Referee: J Busby (Oxfordshire).