Powell and Town bear fruit from unconventional Vaughan-Wells strike pairing

There were question marks over whether or not Huddersfield Town would line up in a 4-3-3, with Sean Scannell and Nahki Wells flanking James Vaughan, or match Watford up with three at the back and two up top prior to the game.

Manager Chris Powell had used the FA Cup third-round tie with Reading to examine whether or not a two-pronged frontline of Vaughan and Wells could function and as his side struggled to break down an obdurate backline, the duo cut forlorn figures in attack.

But Powell's hand was forced somewhat here and he persisted with a pairing which looked a far cry from Grant Holt's toils as a lone striker during the latter stages of his loan spell from Wigan Athletic.

There is a common belief that Wells is only able to thrive when operating in tandem with a targetman but here he moved to dispel that theory with hold-up play which belied his diminutive frame as he gave Craig Cathcart, Tommie Hoban and Gabriele Angella the runaround in equal measure.

Vaughan and Wells are hypothetically far too similar in style to bring the best out of one another but their incessant running - both into the channels and dropping deep - was just the tonic to stretch the three-man central defensive unit and they were offered minimal respite throughout.

Both would go on to score and prove to their manager that their partnership is one that can blossom and it could prove the making of Wells in particular under his tutelage.

Gobern's latest promising midfield cameo is a welcome one

It would be both premature and debatable to conclusively remark that Oscar Gobern's return to this Huddersfield midfield should prompt a rethink when it comes to Town's transfer policy regarding midfielders during January.

Certainly, the need for a tangible alternative to Jonathan Hogg at the base of the midfield engine room is one which needs addressing over the next few weeks but the fact Town's main man over the last month was not sorely missed here felt telling.

Instead of surrendering meekly like they did in his absence at Rotherham United on Boxing Day, the likes of Gobern rolled up their sleeves and got stuck into a Watford central midfield blessed with technicians but lacking in the necessary fighting qualities for a chilly day in West Yorkshire.

Gobern savoured the battle and his ball-winning abilities were key to freeing the likes of Conor Coady and, most pertiently, Jacob Butterfield as they strutted their stuff further upfield.

It was not the most polished performance and his usage of the ball may come into question if given a sustained run in the side but he certainly showed enough here to suggest he is ready to take chances that come his way.

Lynch provides a steadying influence on this defence

When Joel Lynch came off at the interval during Town's narrow 1-0 defeat at Bolton Wanderers at the tail end of November, the alarm bells may not have initially rung particularly loudly for supporters.

The Terriers, after all, had only kept four clean sheets to that point all season but in dispossessing Town of a consistent presence at the heart of defence 10 goals were conceded across five games in December as Lynch was forced to watch on from the sidelines.

A groin injury led to openings for both Murray Wallace and Anthony Gerrard, but the former failed to press his claims after being sent-off in the 5-0 evisceration at Norwich City while the latter's long-term future remains uncertain.

Lynch's absence also had a notable impact on his regular partner Mark Hudson, who personified his side's recovery from the FA Cup exit better than most after his lapse for the only goal of the game last weekend.

Powell was fulsome in his admiration for the returning centre-back's showing against Watford as he combined strong tackling, aerial dominance and speed across the ground to force Matej Vydra into submission before capping his comeback with a goal-of-the-season contender.

Town can be the scourge of top-six sides

This contest epitomised the concertinaed nature of the Championship that Powell has been quick to highlight whenever his side's results have boosted or dampened expectations this season.

Watford arrived at the John Smith's Stadium off the back of four wins from five across the festive period following a November slump and were determined to strengthen their grip on a play-off spot.

They had not lost in this fixture since 1998 and yet, having weathered a 15-minute storm, this was the kind of high-octane attacking display which has come to embellish Powell's reign on an intermittent basis and it resulted in a largely comfortable victory.

Nottingham Forest were put to the sword to spark a downfall in fortunes for Stuart Pearce's side, while Brentford were thwarted in their attempts to register a club-record sixth successive league win at second-tier level at the start of the month.

Few sides will relish a trip to the John Smith's Stadium on this evidence and, with the likes of Derby County, Ipswich Town and Norwich City all yet to visit Town, Powell can point to the manner in which his side disposed of Jokanovic's side with relative ease as evidence that the Terriers can deal with the very best in this division.

Robinson becoming Town's Mr Reliable down the left

There were doubts as to whether Jack Robinson possessed the natural talent from an offensive perspective to truly cement his place in the side and competition from Paul Dixon allowed Powell to weigh up his options.

But over the last few weeks, a new player has emerged on Town's left flank and any doubts over Robinson's first-team standing have been well and truly put to bed after a string of consistent outings.

He has shifted seamlessly from his customary left-back role to a more advanced component in the 3-5-2 setup and he did so once more here, mirroring Scannell's industry and directness on the other side of the field.

Having struggled to convince doubters of his quality in both halves of the field, the QPR loanee now looks a far more rounded character and is emerging as one of the first names on the teamsheet.

A youthful bench and the fact only Joe Lolley stepped up off it late on underlined the club's need to go out and get transfer business done swiftly to plug gaps in this squad, but Robinson needn't worry about his place in this rich vein of form.