Sheffield Wednesday produced the perfect away performance at The John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday and emerged with a deserved 2-0 win over Huddersfield.
Jeremy Helan – who was a thorn in the side of the Terriers all afternoon - struck before the break and Jacques Maghoma added to Wednesday’s lead 20 minutes from time.
The Owls were too good for their Yorkshire rivals on the day and it was the ideal response from Stuart Gray’s side after consecutive defeats.
The hosts began the game at a lively tempo and asked early questions of Wednesday as Miguel Llera had to perfectly time his challenge on Nahki Wells in the area.
Danny Ward then saw his header easily dealt with by Chris Kirkland after promising build-up play by Town before Wednesday loanee Gary Gardner fired a piledriver inches wide of the target in response.
A swift Terriers move upfield, inside a busy first five minutes, gave Adam Hammill an opportunity from 18 yards but Kirkland got down quickly to make a smart save with an outstretched arm.
But Wednesday more than managed to weather that early storm and registered the first goal of the game five minutes before the interval.
After a good spell in Town territory, Helan’s persistence paid off when the utility man won possession inside the area before unleashing an unstoppable right-footed drive into the bottom corner.
It was little more than Wednesday deserved after an industrious first period and following the resumption, the Owls were immediately on the front foot with substitute Chris Maguire dragging wide at the near post.
Chelsea loanee Sam Hutchinson made an impressive challenge on Adam Clayton to prevent the midfield man from pulling the trigger in a dangerous spell for the Terriers.
Wednesday, though, continued to enjoy the lion’s share of possession and frustrate Huddersfield but just past the hour, the Terriers had two chances to draw level.
Ward could not find a way past Kirkland from close range on the angle and Wells should have done better in a three-on-one attack but his square ball was intercepted by Joe Mattock to kill the danger.
And as is so often the case in football, those chances came back to haunt Huddersfield and with less than 20 minutes left to play, Maghoma doubled Wednesday’s advantage.
Glenn Loovens fired the ball back into the area and Maghoma controlled well, swivelled and tucked his low strike into the net leaving Alex Smithies rooted to the spot.
Ward again went close for Huddersfield as the midfielder’s first time hit drifted agonisingly the wrong side of the upright and Clayton’s long range drive cannoned off the crossbar.
But without doubt, the day belonged to Wednesday, who now head into Monday's FA Cup clash with Charlton boosted by another big victory in the Championship.
Huddersfield: Smithies, Dixon, Norwood (Scannell 58), Clarke, Hogg, Clayton, Ward, Hammill (Lolley 46), Wells (Paterson 71), Smith, Gerrard
Owls: Kirkland, Palmer, Onyewu (Loovens 70), Llera, Mattock, Antonio (Maguire 46), Hutchinson, Gardner, Helan, Maghoma, Nuhiu (Best 67)