Full-time: Huddersfield 1 Middlesbrough 2

MIDDLESBROUGH returned to winning ways in West Yorkshire this afternoon when Grant Leadbitter was at the double to defeat Huddersfield Town after a dramatic ending.

After Leadbitter’s incredible first half free-kick had given Boro the lead, it had looked as if the Terriers would claim an unlikely point when former Sunderland man Jon Stead equalised with just four minutes remaining against the run of play.

But then Huddersfield full-back Tommy Smith decided to pull the shirt of Adam Reach in the penalty area as the winger ran away from goal to chase a loose ball. Referee Kevin Wright pointed to the spot and Leadbitter cooly sent goalkeeper Alex Smithies the wrong way.

Smith was disconsolate at the end, but Middlesbrough ended two defeats in a row in the Championship to claim a third win of the season – and handed debuts to Jelle Vossen and Patrick Bamford after the restart too.

Vossen emerged almost quarter of an hour in to the second half for his debut, with Karanka opting not to start with him at the John Smith’s Stadium. Fellow new recruits Bamford, Yanic Wildschut and Jamal Blackman joined him on the bench.

Bamford’s inclusion was because of the hole left by Dimi Konstantopoulos’ promotion to the starting line-up after a string of nervous displays from Tomas Mejias, who was left out because of a back problem according to the club.

Konstantopoulos, with the exception of one save from former team-mate Jacob Butterfield when he should have held on, was steady and did not have too much to do, even if Huddersfield had went close when Joel Lynch headed over a couple of times in the first half.

That was around the time when there was a bit of needle in the match following a couple of tasty challenges from James Vaughan, on Konstantopoulos, and George Friend, on Lee Peltier. Both players earned cards and then Wright urged the captains to calm things down.

But just when it appeared as if the game would be level at the break, the strong contingent of Middlesbrough fans had a stunning opener to celebrate from Leadbitter.

The former Ipswich and Sunderland midfielder crashed in an incredible free-kick from 35 yards which arrowed straight in to the top of Smithies’ top left corner. After that Kike and Adam Clayton both had chances to extend the lead before the break, but it never arrived.

And after the restart Huddersfield, in front of new manager Chris Powell, struggled to make any sort of impact on the Middlesbrough half and it was just surprising the length of time it took for the second to arrive.

Whenever Huddersfield did try to counter attack, Daniel Ayala and Ben Gibson mopped things up and prevented any danger from coming Konstantopoulos’ way. The closest Vossen came to scoring was a drive from the edge of the area which flew just wide.

But then Stead made the most of a rare counter attack when he turned in Ward’s centre before the drama really arrived. Smith’s error handed Leadbitter the opportunity and he slotted the winner away in style.

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (4-4-2): Smithies; Smith, Lynch, Hudson, Robinson; Butterfield, Coady, Peltier (Ward 80), Bunn (Lolley 61); Vaughan (Stead 27), Wells. Subs: Murphy (gk), Dixon, Scannell, Wallace.

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2): Konstantopoulos; Abella, Ayala, Gibson, Friend; Reach, Clayton, Leadbitter, Adomah (Nsue 90); Tomlin (Vossen 58), Kike (Bamford 76). Subs: (not used): Blackman (gk), Woodgate, Whitehead, Wildschut.