This was far from the barnstorming derby display which Huddersfield Town fans craved.

Chris Powell’s side took a long time to get going in both halves and eventually paid a heavy price for not taking the game by the scruff of the neck.

Town were shaken by Sam Byram’s opening goal on six minutes and by the loss to injury just three minutes later of leading scorer Nahki Wells, but they seemed strangely lacking in killer drive after substitute Harry Bunn had got them level on 26 with a rare goal from a corner.

There were chances, most notably for Sean Scannell just before half time when he screwed his shot across goal and, 15 minutes from time, when Jacob Butterfield repeated the feat.

And it has to be said that, at that stage, a draw not only looked the most likely result but also the fairest.

As the home team, though, the onus was on Town to find a way to win the game while keeping the door shut at the back – but they couldn’t do either.

Instead, Leeds boss Neil Redfearn sensed they might sneak a victory by sending on Billy Sharp four minutes from time and, true to form against Town, just three minutes later he delivered the decisive blow from a cross by fellow substitute Mirco Antenucci.

Sharp has, incredibly, netted in his last three appearances against Town for Reading, Doncaster and now Leeds, and this goal was certainly no less painful to take than any of the others.

It was sickening for the home faithful – as was the sight of Tommy Smith being carried off on a stretcher before his later Air Ambulance rescue to hospital – and the defeat meant Town dropped to 17th in the Championship standings when a win would have taken them into the top half of the table.

In pictures: Huddersfield Town 1-2 Leeds United

The result – which completed a first league double for Leeds over Town since the 1938-39 season – also puts more pressure on Town for their trip to Millwall, especially with Ian Holloway’s side scoring a much-needed 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest to leave themselves within touching distance of the safety line.

Town will need to be much sharper and cohesive at The New Den than they were against Leeds, because they were never at their fluent best on a tacky surface and then wasted the bulk of chances which came their way.

In the build-up to both Leeds goals Town were guilty of slackness – James Vaughan giving the ball away before the first, which was neatly finished by Byram from Luke Murphy’s pass, and then no-one blocking Antenucci’s cross for the second when the match was on the line.

That was a shame because other than those two attacks, the returning Joe Murphy – back in goal for illness victim Alex Smithies and making a first appearance since November following a broken foot – wasn’t forced into too much work.

Mark Hudson and, particularly, Joel Lynch, were solid enough in the centre without being spectacular, while loan signing David Edgar, on his home debut, struggled to match the impact he had had in the victory at Wigan Athletic and Town, as a result, couldn’t truly command in midfield.

Jacob Butterfield and Conor Coady had their moments and prompted nicely at times with the help of widemen Sean Scannell and Jack Robinson, but Leeds were adept at getting men behind the ball and, in new signing Sol Bamba, had the outstanding player on the pitch.

He was strong and purposeful at the heart of the visitors’ defence and helped keep the hard-working James Vaughan in check.

Harry Bunn caught the eye on occasions, but openings were hard to come by after he bagged his seventh goal of the campaign, although Steve Morison did well to block what looked a goalbound header from an 82nd-minute Butterfield corner.

Scannell was the most likely attacking threat for Town, but they will need an all-round improvement if they are to return from London on Saturday with three points.