Sunderland 1-2 Huddersfield Town: Terriers win to move six points clear of relegation zone
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Michal Helik's early header helped Huddersfield on their way to a second away win of the season
Huddersfield Town moved six points clear of the Championship's relegation places with a smash-and-grab victory at Sunderland.
The Terriers led when Tom Lees nodded Sorba Thomas' free-kick back across goal, where Michał Helik headed in from close range.
But the hosts went in level at the break after Luke O'Nien fired into the roof of the net from close range following a well-worked set-piece.
Huddersfield hit the front once more against the run of play when the ball broke to Delano Burgzorg on the edge of the box following Jaheim Headley's run and he swept a first-time shot into the bottom corner.
A fifth defeat in eight matches meant Sunderland dropped to 11th in the table, while a fourth win of the season for 21st-placed Town - and a second in 11 matches for boss Darren Moore - left them within three points of Coventry in 15th position.
The Black Cats dominated possession throughout with the visitors happy to sit back and soak up the pressure, but the Terriers proved it is what you do with the ball that matters,
Headley had already forced Sunderland keeper Anthony Patterson into an early point-blank stop before Helik's opener, only Huddersfield's eighth away goal of the campaign.
Yet while Sunderland have drawn a blank in their past two away trips, they are averaging two goals per game at the Stadium of Light and moments after Jack Clarke's free-kick was parried wide, O'Nien notched his first goal of the season.
The hosts should have led after a fast start to the second half, as Jenson Seelt somehow guided Patrick Roberts' corner over the bar.
Jobe Bellingham was then denied by advancing keeper Chris Maxwell when one-on-one after O'Nien's defence-splitting through-ball, before Burgzorg punished Sunderland with what proved to be his final touch before his substitution.
Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray made four changes with 16 minutes left in a push to avoid a fourth home league defeat this term, and sub Alex Pritchard almost caught out Maxwell with a chipped free-kick, but the Terriers held out.
Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray told BBC Newcastle:
"We're disappointed with the performance, we lacked a bit of energy tonight and lacked a bit of creativity as well, breaking down their defence.
"We know how they play and what they were going to do. I'm frustrated with the performance because it's not the first time we've faced a team who put a lot of men behind the ball and it's not the first time we've struggled to break them down and score goals. So we just have to keep working.
"I'm disappointed with the goals we've conceded - the first a set-play, the second was a ridiculous goal, but no excuses and congratulations to them, they came and made life difficult for us and got the points."
Huddersfield manager Darren Moore told BBC Radio Leeds:
"It was a continuation from Saturday, but probably with a bit more end product from us.
"We came in at half-time at 1-1 but I thought we could have been a couple of goals to the good because of the chances we had.
"Sunderland started the second half brightly for 10 minutes but, when we got the pace, we got back into the game and started building again.
"Just before I was about to make the substitution, Del [Burgzorg] popped up with what turned out to be the winning goal so the timing was everything with that."