Huddersfield Town learn to smile again on an epic anniversary day against mauled Middlesbrough

After the main bash was over, the irrepressible figure at the heart of it in Neil Warnock walked onto the stage and swayed to the music.

He probably won’t get many more days like this in his epic managerial career, so you have to savour them.

Hopefully, there’ll be a few more yet between now and season’s end after a day when a club which means a lot to him started to smile again.

The old songs can still be the best and should they maintain their second-half levels, there’s a fair chance Town will be whistling the ‘Great Escape’ theme tune on May 8.

They were watching over in Sacramento. No shouts of ‘awesome’ or ‘yee-haw’, but still plenty of praise.

On his Twitter account, prospective new owner Kevin M Nagle lauded some ‘impressive coaching and player execution in the second half’ against a ‘formidable opponent’. Indeed it was.

This was Warnock’s fifth successive victory over one of his former clubs in Middlesbrough. After four binary 1-0 wins, this latest triumph was brilliant, belligerent and brutal.

In the early stages of a coaching career which is showing immense promise, Michael Carrick probably learnt as much in the second half as he has in his previous 26 games.

Deep in thought, he stood on the touchline contemplating what to do after being outflanked by an old fox in Warnock as Town went wild with four goals in an astonishing 21-minute spell in the second period.

It was a day when Boro boasted 75 per cent possession and still got heavily beaten. A day which shattered the illusion that possession is nine-tenths of the law in football terms. It’s what you do with the ball and how you defend without it.

While Boro’s pitch for promotion has been built around some intoxicating offensive football through the thirds which has been a joy to watch, their Achilles heel - certainly on their travels - has been their defence.

Granted, no Championship side has scored more than them on the road. But equally, only three teams have now conceded more.

After a first half in which the Terriers had displayed perspiration but little inspiration, Warnock told his side to be more front-foot in their bid to turn around a 1-0 deficit.

His regular central midfielders in Jack Rudoni and Jonathan Hogg got a bit further forward, while Josh Koroma got the message loud and clear after a half-time rollicking.

Danny Ward was handed an instruction to man-mark Boro centre-half Paddy McNair, whom Warnock felt was the source of many of their passing moves in a first-half when the visitors gorged on possession.

Warnock’s main directive was to put their opponents ‘under pressure’ - a phrase associated with another managerial icon in the late, great Jack Charlton. They did more than that, they put Boro to the sword.

It was lapped up by home fans, who created a pumped-up atmosphere; a reprise of the John Smith’s Stadium of old amid happier times.

It looked more like ‘same old’ in the first half.

Town had started well, with a goalline clearance from Darragh Lenihan denying an early opener for Koroma. But after a rusty start, Boro gradually took over with their passing game as the hosts sat off.

The goal they had been hinting at arrived just before the break and it showcased Boro at their best.

Town were caught on the counter with Aaron Ramsey showing sublime skill to manufacture space in midfield before sending Cameron Archer away down the left. He cut inside and found Forss, who coolly registered his tenth goal of 2022-23.

Normal service had seemingly been resumed amid fears that Boro would do what another class side in Coventry did to Town last month.

Not so as the hosts did not feel sorry for themselves and governed the second half. A goal 22 seconds in does help.

Josh Ruffels, who made two key first-half blocks, showed more desire than three Boro players and found himself through on goal and his finish was as good as any striker.

The visitors were spooked and Town then took the lead with a stunner as Ward - outstanding on the restart - swept the ball to Koroma, who steered home a deadly low drive to follow his brilliant goal against Warnock’s Boro in November 2020.

Matty Pearson then took the cue, cashing in on dreadful Boro marking after Michal Helik won a header following Jack Rudoni’s corner to touch the ball home.

He soon added another following a move down the left involving Ruffels and Rudoni on a ghoulish April Fool’s Day for Boro’s backline.

Sub Matt Crooks thought he’d pulled a goal back after a scramble, but it was ruled out. Akpom eventually did, heading in Riley McGree’s centre. Yet this was Town’s day - it would be a shame to waste this.

Huddersfield Town: Vaclik; Pearson, Lees, Helik, Ruffles; Edmonds-Green (Lowton 77), Hogg, Rudoni; Holmes (Jackson 26), Koroma (Kasumu 88), Ward (Simpson 88). Unused substitutes: Bilokapic, Rhodes, Hungbo.

Middlesbrough: Steffen; Smith, McNair (Barlaser 84), Lenihan, Giles; Howson, Hackney (McGree 65); Forss, Akpom, Ramsey; Archer (Crooks 65). Unused substitutes: Roberts, Mowatt, Fry, Bola.

Referee: John Busby (Oxfordshire).