'Minor miracle' - EFL hero makes instant impact as manager with nine-year first

Worthington, who was appointed the Terriers' interim boss for the remainder of the season following Michael Duff's surprise axing last Sunday, steered Huddersfield to a 5-1 mauling over Crawley Town.

It was the most amount of goals Huddersfield had scored in a home game since 2016, underlining the dominant nature of the performance under Worthington.

There were five different names on the score sheet for the Terriers, with four of their goals coming inside the opening 30 minutes.

Joe Taylor kicked off the rout in the third minute before Crawley's Charlie Baker turned one into his own net five minutes later.

Taylor's goal carried extra weight given it was the first time Huddersfield scored at home in 2025.

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Callum Marshall and Matty Pearson netted Huddersfield's third and fourth respectively before Ruben Roosken capped off the five-star performance with a strike in the 76th minute.

Unfortunately for the Terriers, Ade Adeyemo's 96th-minute strike ensured there would be no clean sheet bonus for the backline.

But Crawley's late goal did little to dampen the spirit of Worthington.

"Other than conceding in the last minute, I think the perfection of the week has been topped off there with that," Worthington said.

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"I couldn't be any happier.

"I said to the lads on the first day, we have to get onto teams, we have to be on the front foot, we have to win the ball high up the pitch, we have to be really aggressive, but also really brave on the ball.

"We want to get attacking players into areas where they can impact and affect the game, and I was really pleased that we did that.

"I think the win was massively important because it allows us to build on something now, and gives us a period of time to consolidate the squad and strengthen as well over our international break.

"I was really pleased with what I saw on the pitch in terms of the work that we've done over the week.

"I think it's quite exciting that the guys have absorbed that kind of information in quite a short space of time. It's definitely given us a platform to build on."

Aside from the goal fest, Huddersfield's win moved them back up into the League One play-off spots.

A second-straight loss for Bolton helped the Terriers leapfrog their rivals into sixth, where they sit one point ahead of the Trotters on 61 points.

Huddersfield's five-goal haul also helped the club eclipse the amount of goals they scored last season with nine games remaining.

The Terriers were relegated from the Championship last season with 48 goals, but thanks to the five against Crawley, they now have 52 from 37 league games.

One pessimistic fan wrote on X prior to match it would 'be a minor miracl'e if they scored two goals, let alone five.

Worthington, who made over 200 appearances for the club as a player from 2002 to 2009, will hope to keep the momentum going when club football resumes after the international break.

However, it will not be easy as the Terriers travel to fourth-placed Charlton, who have won 10 of their last 13 and are unbeaten from their last six.