Where to start with a game which Town could have had wrapped up by the break but ended up losing by the heaviest margin this season?
It must have been the most bizarre build-up to any of the 62 league derbies between these clubs.
After the turmoil of Friday evening, when a takeover of Leeds by Massimo Cellino moved closer and manager Brian McDermott was sacked, came a new twist.
GFH Capital, the Bahraini investment bank selling the club to the Italian, claimed the ex-Reading boss had been reinstated.
While Leeds managing director David Haigh did return after quitting, the team was led by Nigel Gibbs, McDermott’s assistant, with Cellini and the former Middlesbrough player Gianluca Festa, who is set to become manager if the takeover goes through, looking on from the stands.
Town’s 2,620 travelling fans in a 31,103 crowd were merciless in their taunting of both Leeds and their captain Ross McCormack, who in a television interview amid the chaos leading up to the game, had come across as pretty unhappy amid reports his club had turned down offers for him as the transfer window closed.
It was one of those situations in which a team is likely to be galvanised or go under.
And when Danny Ward gave Town a 25th-minute lead soon after Ollie Norwood has rasped a shot against the left-hand post, it looked like the latter scenario might be played out.
At that stage, a one-sided final scoreline only seemed possible in the favour of the visitors, who had opportunities to increase their lead through Murray Wallace, who had an overhead effort blocked, Norwood, who had a header saved, and Nahki Wells, who put a good chance wide.
But Leeds started to get back into the game in the minutes leading up to the break, and when Wallace dithered over dealing with an admittedly awkward ball into the box in stoppage time, McCormack pounced.
There’s no good time to give away a goal, but this was especially frustrating, and it was always likely Leeds would come at Town at the start of the second period, with Mark Robins’ men needing to weather the storm.
No such luck as McCormack threaded a pass through to Jimmy Kebe, who romped into the area and lofted the ball over keeper Alex Smithies.
Town needed to conjure and equaliser, but Ward and Wells both missed chances before McCormack finished off Sam Byram’s cross from close range, then completed his hat-trick from Cameron Stewart’s delivery.
Town were looking distinctly ragged, with only a lively debut appearance from the bench for Joe Lolley to lift the gloom, but there was worse to come.
Alex Mowatt made it five for the home side when he chipped home after a horrible mix-up between Smithies and centre-back Anthony Gerrard, who was left groggy and unable to carry on, and with Robins having used all three of his substitutes (Sean Scannell and Martin Paterson were the others to come on), Town were a man down.
Leeds old boy Adam Clayton managed to hit the bar with a deflected shot but there was no disguising the fact that Town were given a towelling by their biggest rivals in the division, not easy for anyone on the blue and white side of the divide to stomach.
Now Robins needs some of his missing men back and to find a response at home to Wigan on Saturday.
Huddersfield Town fans watch Leeds United derby defeat: are you pictured?
4mins: A lively start by Leeds as Rodolph Austin rolls a pass to Cameron Stewart, who shoots wide.
22mins: Town’s Oscar Gobern and Nahki Wells to combine to set up Ollie Norwood, whose low shot hits the left-hand post.
23mins: Gobern is thwarted by Sam Byram as he looks set to score from Danny Ward’s pass.
25mins: Calum Woods cuts through midfield to supply Ward, who beats Paddy Kenny with a crisp shot. 1-0 to Town.
31mins: Murray Wallace’s overhead kick from a corner is blocked.
43mins: Norwood’s header is held by Paddy Kenny.
44mins: Wells bears down on goal but pokes his shot wide.
45+1mins: Leeds level as Wallace fails to deal with Byram’s ball into the box and Ross McCormack forces the ball home.
50mins: This time McCormack is the supplier, Jimmy Kebe lofting the ball over Alex Smithies to put Leeds in front.
57mins: Ward shoots wide from Tommy Smith’s cross.
61mins: Wells puts an effort wide.
62mins: Leeds go 3-1 up as McCormack nets from Byram’s cross
66mins: Smithies saves from Austin.
73mins: McCormack is Leeds’ hat-trick hero after side-footing home from Stewart’s cross.
75mins: Town substitute Joe Lolley shoots just wide.
76mins: Ward’s low shot is saved.
82mins: It’s 5-1 to Leeds as Alex Mowatt lofts the ball home after a collision between Smithies and Town centre-back Anthony Gerrard.
86mins: Adam Clayton’s deflected shot hits the bar.
