Watford 2-3 Huddersfield Town: Neil Warnock's Terriers win to move out of drop zone
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Centre-back Matty Pearson headed Huddersfield's second for his third goal in two games
Huddersfield Town beat a faltering Watford to make it three wins on the bounce and haul themselves out of the Championship relegation zone.
The Terriers came from behind for the second week running to continue their revival under Neil Warnock and inflict the Hornets' first home defeat in 2023.
Colombia international Yaser Asprilla had fired the home side ahead with his first goal for the club but Jack Rudoni also netted his first for Huddersfield to square it up just before half-time.
Centre-back Matty Pearson put the visitors ahead and 20-year-old Kian Harratt's first goal for the club sealed the three points, although Britt Assombalonga's goal in added time made for a nervy final few minutes for the travelling support.
The misery was complete for Watford late in the game when goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann was sent off for two yellow card offences inside a minute, and had to be dragged off the pitch by Watford staff as he lost his head with referee David Webb.
Victory made it four wins and two draws from nine games for Warnock - with Huddersfield up to 20th and a point clear of the bottom three, having been five points adrift of safety when the 74-year-old took over in February.
Meanwhile, Watford's run of just one win in their last seven games has left them six points from the play-off places with just six games remaining.
It had looked good for Chris Wilder's hosts when Asprilla cut in from the right flank on to his left foot and fired a shot between the legs of Pearson, catching goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik by surprise to squeeze between him and his near post.
Midfielder Rudoni grabbed his first Huddersfield goal, in his 39th appearance, after Josh Koroma had sprinted down the right, his cross being cut out by Ryan Porteous but falling for the 21-year-old, who had time to switch the ball on to his left foot and pick his spot.
Pearson was the Huddersfield hero for the second week running, netting again after he scored twice in the 4-2 win over Middlesbrough last week. This time he headed Rudoni's free-kick back across goal and with Danny Ward's attempt to get the final touch distracting Bachmann, the ball fell into the far corner.
Harratt made the points safe within a minute of replacing Ward, dashing to the front post to head home Koroma's cross after a driving run by Rudoni had scattered the tiring Hornets defence.
Assombalonga's emphatic finish set up a tense five minutes of added time, but Bachmann's frustration boiled over after he left his goal to go forward for a Watford free-kick.
After being booked for tangling with a Huddersfield defender, he launched a high boot at Pearson to earn a second yellow. In a rage, he had to be led off the pitch by Watford staff, throwing his gloves down in anger.
Huddersfield boss Neil Warnock told BBC Radio Leeds:
"We beat Millwall, Middlesbrough and Watford and you can't ask any more than that. It will still be the biggest miracle in my career and that's why I'm not jumping head over heels, because I know how difficult it's going to be.
"I've got three or four lads who had been told they had no future at the club when I came so it just shows you. They were some of our best players today - Josh Ruffels and Josh Koroma.
"It gives me a lot of pleasure when you see people like that confront and change the mind and opinion of people.
"Then you see the young kid (Kian Harratt) come in. He'd done ever so well in training and I was desperate to get him on the bench so I left (Tyreece) Simpson at home and told him he had a training session to get ready for Monday and told the kid he would go on for Wardy.
"He's a genuine kid and will have dreamt about days like this. He's going home tonight feeling 10 feet tall, and it was a great header. Don't know how I will get him on the bench for Monday."