Local derbies can often prove great levellers, even between two sides at contrasting ends of the table. The underdog finds some parochial pride, raises their game and nicks a result.
That was emphatically not the case here.
Leeds United sent Huddersfield Town back along the M62 with tails between legs, underlining their promotion credentials in the process as they look to get back to the Premier League.
Daniel Farke’s team were rampant in the West Yorkshire clash, blitzing their visitors with three goals in an electric 14 minutes in the first-half. Another arrived on the stroke of half-time.
Crysencio Summerville and Dan James, restored to the starting line-up having been benched in the defeat at Stoke in midweek, played as if they had something to prove, scoring twice apiece and that was the game won.
Dan James produced a fantastic performance scoring two first half goals in the game
Crysencio Summerville scored in the 31st minute of the game and right before half time
Glen Kamara and Ethan Ampadu dominated the midfield and Georginio Rutter was a constant threat.
Huddersfield were so swamped, at times it resembled a team of professionals playing part-timers in the early rounds of the FA Cup.
When James scored the third, Huddersfield boss Darren Moore could only stand on the sidelines, hands deep in pockets, with a sheepish look on his face.
Huddersfield boss Darren Moore could only stand on the sidelines, hands deep in pockets, with a sheepish look on his face.
As his defence evaporated into the foggy Yorkshire air time after time, he must have wondered what he’d taken on when he replaced Neil Warnock last month.
In the away end, as the Huddersfield fans took all manner of taunts, they must have pondered if a Warnock team would ever have been so defensively porous.
Somewhere in Cornwall, with his slippers on and feet up, Warnock might have felt a bit smug.
Leeds thought they’d made the breakthrough when Joel Piroe prodded home from close-range from Summerville’s free-kick, only for an offside flag to cut short celebrations.
But the early signs of the carnage to come were there, with Summerville gliding behind Tom Edwards down the Leeds left, his shot deflecting behind off Tom Lees’ elbow, but with penalty shouts rejected.
The breakthrough goal was coming and arrived on 20 minutes following a sweeping back-to-front move.
Rutter, back defending, was alive to the possibilities and looped a pass to Summerville bursting forward. Suddenly, Huddersfield were outnumbered and Summerville picked out James, who finished well inside the post.
Huddersfield did have one moment then that may have altered the complexion of the game. Joe Rodon made a crucial, last-ditch tackle just as Delano Burgzorg was about to pull the trigger, Jamie Shackleton unable to deal with a long ball.
It was all soon academic. Summerville scored the second, showing fancy footwork to bamboozle the Huddersfield defenders before a weak rolled shot that somehow squeezed past Lee Nicholls.
The win sees Leeds United move to third in the Championship table for the time being
Summerville was cool and composed as he scored his first goal of the match vs Huddersfield
Clearly in the mood, Summerville, ran to substitute Wilfried Gnonto who was warming up and pulled out some more dance moves to celebrate.
A few minutes later, James made the situation three and easy for Leeds. This time, Summerville came into the middle and slipped a ball through to him, with the Welshman finishing neatly across Nicholls.
James blasted another opportunity over with Huddersfield being cut open at will by this point. That was a rebound after Nicholls saved from Summerville.
Deep into first-half stoppage time, the fourth goal duly arrived. Rutter made hay down the left after Sam Byram’s flick set him free and he teed up Summerville to slot home as James hurriedly got out of the ball’s path.
There were ‘oles’ from the Elland Road crowd by minute 50 and Summerville received the standing ovation he deserved when replaced by Gnonto on the hour. His first involvement was to square to Piroe, who drove wide.
Just as Moore was being serenaded with ‘sacked in the morning’ chants, Michal Helik grabbed a consolation after Ilian Meslier failed to keep hold of Sorba Thomas’ shot.
When Farke introduced Jaidon Anthony and Patrick Bamford with 13 minutes to play, it was really just a case of Leeds flexing their attacking muscles.
The home crowd made a point of chanting Bamford’s name after his penalty miss cost them at Stoke but the game had long since fizzled out.
On Friday night, Leeds will face a far stiffer test of their mettle at Championship pace-setters Leicester. They couldn’t have asked for an easier tune-up.
