Huddersfield Town suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Birmingham City in their clash at the top of the League One table on Tuesday evening.

Keshi Anderson’s superb volley for the Blues four minutes after half-time proved the difference between the sides at the John Smith’s Stadium, earning the league leaders victory against their fourth-placed hosts.

The result leaves Town on 48 points from 27 matches played following back-to-back defeats, while the Blues moved onto 60 points from 26 games at the top of the division.

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Head coach Michael Duff made four changes to the side that were beaten 1-0 by Bolton Wanderers last time out. Ruben Roosken, Lasse Sorensen, Herbie Kane and Callum Marshall came into the team for Radinio Balker, Ollie Turton, Ben Wiles and Joe Taylor.

Blues’ boss Chris Davies made two changes from his side’s 1-1 draw at Wrexham, with Tomoki Iwata and Keshi Anderson replacing Scott Wright and Alfie May in their starting 11.

The hosts had the first opportunity of the contest three minutes in, as Roosken’s cross from the left was headed straight at the visiting keeper by Dion Charles.

The away side created a decent chance of their own in the tenth minute when Ethan Laird was sent away down the right-hand side with a long ball forward and the full-back’s cross found Lyndon Dykes, but the striker’s effort was turned around the post by Jacob Chapman.

Anderson had the ball in the back of the net from the resulting corner, but the referee’s whistle had already been blown for an infringement.

The visitors had more joy down the right-hand side a few minutes later, with Taylor Gardner-Hickman next to breach Town’s backline and cross into the box, with Marc Leonard going on to have a shot blocked.

Town’s next opportunity fell to Callum Marshall shortly before the 20-minute mark as Antony Evans picked out the forward with a cross from the left, but the striker couldn’t get a clean connection on his attempt on goal from a central position inside the box.

Herbie Kane then volleyed wide for Town at the midway point of the half from a corner, while Jay Stansfield had a shot blocked on the edge of the box at the other end shortly after.

The visitors started to wrestle more control of the contest as the half wore on, with Town lacking an attacking threat as half-time approached.

Blues’ skipper Christoph Klarer headed over for the visitors from Alex Cochrane’s free-kick ten minutes before the break, before Dykes couldn’t get on the end of the left-back’s cross a few minutes later, as the sides went in goalless at the interval.

Laird had the first opportunity of the second half two minutes after the break as the right-back was sent through towards goal with a long ball forward, but the defender’s attempt to square was turned behind by Brodie Spencer.

The visitors broke the deadlock in the 49th minute with a superb strike. A cross from the right was initially cleared and then headed to Anderson, who chested the ball down and volleyed home past Chapman from the edge of the box.

The Terriers struggled to muster a response in the minutes that followed, with Antony Evans’ wayward strike from distance their only attempt on goal in the lead up to the hour mark.

Gardner-Hickman and Iwata both fired wide from distance for the visitors, although the latter’s strike came after the whistle had been blown.

Joe Hodge had a cross for the hosts that was headed behind by Klarer around 15 minutes from time, but the away side remained in control heading into the closing stages.

Town had a couple of opportunities in quick succession with just under ten minutes remaining, as Josh Koroma’s strike was deflected past the post, while Matty Pearson headed over from the resulting corner.

A lengthy stoppage followed, with Tom Lees having to go off due to a head injury and being replaced by a concussion substitute in Radinio Balker with all Town’s changes having been made, leading to ten minutes of injury-time.

May had a strike blocked on the counter and Kieran Dowell fired over for the Blues in the closing minutes, while Hodge volleyed wide for the hosts in the dying moments, as the away side went on to see out the remainder of the contest to give their automatic promotion bid a boost, while dealing Town’s top-two hopes a setback in the process.

Town: Chapman, Sorensen (Turton 58), Pearson, Hogg (C), Marshall (Healey 72), Charles (Radulovic 72), Kane (Hodge 57), Spencer, Evans, Roosken (Koroma 63), Lees (Balker 88). Unused subs: Nicholls.

Birmingham: Allsop, Laird, Klarer (C), Leonard, Anderson (Wright 67), Dykes (May 87), Gardner-Hickman (Hanley 87), Cochrane, Iwata (Bielik 79), Davies, Stansfield (Dowell 79). Unused subs: Peacock-Farrell, Harris.