Home form means Town fear no-one in this division
Brentford will have walked off the field after their 2-1 defeat at the John Smith's Stadium querying whether or not Town read the script they had produced ahead of this encounter.
If anyone was expected to leave with all three points before kick-off, it was the Brentford juggernaut which Mark Warburton led to five back-to-back league wins in November and with some of the attacking riches at his disposal, he would presumably have been confident of stretching that to a club-record six in second-tier football.
The Bees manager did allude, however, to the fact that Town's position in the league table before kick-off - 19th - painted a slightly erroneous image of the team Chris Powell has built, harnessed and developed.
And his assessment was given additional credence when Town got off to a flyer thanks to Sean Scannell's well-placed opener as the Terriers took the game to the division's team of the moment.
Powell's men were lent that title during a seven-match unbeaten run heading into November before some pre-festive period jitters kicked in and a four-match winless run ensued but seven games without defeat at the John Smith's - dating back to a 2-1 defeat to Middlesbrough in Powell's first game in charge - and some of the scalps they have taken along the way are proof that reputation counts for nothing against the Terriers.
Town rediscover intensity at just the right time
Powell used the word 'intensity' in his post-match media duties and it was difficult to disagree with the fact that Brentford had simply not been able to match Town's vigour from Alex Smithies in goal to Grant Holt at the point of the attack.
From the outset Town looked up for this one, determined to banish the negativity which had arrived as a result of experiencing such a steep descent from previously looking close to unbeatable.
Intensity felt like such an apt word to describe Town's win because although the performance at times wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing, it was one which lent itself to securing the result, which was vital after such a poor run either side of the international interval.
The likes of Jack Robinson, who has recently faced a battle for supremacy at left-back with Paul Dixon, Tommy Smith and Conor Coady showed tremendous energy reserves to thwart the visitors, particularly when they came on strong late on.
But by that point, Town had already shown the requisite gusto and desire to hand themselves what ultimately proved to be an unassailable advantage and this must now be the blueprint for a taxing run of fixtures across Christmas.
Midfield blend a key factor in getting Town back on track
Against Sheffield Wednesday there was a lack of spark in attempting to breach the Owls while last week's defeat at Bolton was in some ways one of Town's worst performances under Powell as it lacked any sort of cohesion.
That was, in part, due to the absence of Jonathan Hogg after Diego Poyet came in on loan from West Ham United as Coady and Jacob Butterfield were forced to adjust their games to fit together as a trio alongside the Hammers loanee.
Powell explained Poyet's absence from the squad of 18 after the match by revealing that he will return to the east Londoners now after a disappointing month-long spell which featured two games and just one point.
The move was designed as potentially providing Town with a much-needed fillip but the timing of it - coming just before a two-week international hiatus - was odd and it never quite worked out for Powell's former Charlton Athletic prodigy, despite his undeniable talent.
And as a result of Poyet not making the Terriers squad, Hogg was reinstated and worked in tandem with Coady to produce the steely resolve Town have recently lacked and it was no coincidence that Butterfield thrived as a result to assist Holt and Nahki Wells in attack.
The squad is beginning to look light
Powell knows this already and, even with the likes of Poyet on board, he has openly admitted to a need for new bodies, something which will only be heightened by injuries to key personnel.
With Poyet returning to West Ham, Town are ostensibly left with three central midfield options once more as season-long loan man Radoslaw Majewski continues to be left in the wilderness and the lack of structure to Town's substitute options against Brentford was glaring.
With Holt's loan deal due to expire after the home game with Bolton Wanderers on December 28, back-ups are becoming thin on the ground and as pleasing as it was to see James Vaughan make his long-awaited return, Powell knows only too well that relying on the injury-cursed frontman is a risky ploy.
Anthony Gerrard and Adam Hammill's names on the bench yesterday at least provided some hope that some of the fringe players will be handed their chance to come in and stake a claim but with fixtures coming thick and fast, the January window cannot come soon enough for Town.
It would not be a surprise if Town were to explore the idea of drafting in an emergency loan goalkeeper after news that Joe Murphy may be set for a prolonged injury lay-off and it has amplified the need to wrap ever-improving No.1 Alex Smithies in cotton wool.
Nahki Wells' frustrations in front of goal continue
Given that he has accounted for 26% of Town's 62 goals in this calendar year across all competitions, the role of Wells in Town's attack is a crucial one and his goalscoring ability cannot be doubted.
But when does a series of aberrations turn into a drought? Because against Brentford, Wells looked to be suffering from stage fright as he fluffed his lines when they were handed to him in attempting to register Town's third goal of the afternoon.
Twice he passed up presentable opportunities, following on from a below-par performance in front of goal at Bolton and at home to Sheffield Wednesday, to give his side clear daylight and stave off the lingering threat of the Bees.
He has been handed consecutive starts as a result of injuries to other forwards but has not grasped his chance like you would expect him to and you have to wonder whether he is feeling the pressure of now trying to prove himself to manager Powell after being left on the bench for a string of matches.
Certainly a striker with his predator-like instincts should expect a better return than the one he is currently delivering and having not scored since the comprehensive 3-0 win over Forest, his goalscoring stock has taken a hit.
