Renewed Huddersfield Town pride and Jon Russell's role in final five conclusions before play-offs

Huddersfield Town signed off on the Championship league season by breezing to a 2-0 victory over Bristol City that pushed them to a third-place finish and set up a play-off semi-final against sixth-placed Luton Town.

Carlos Corberan picked a much-rotated side with six changes from the side that claimed victory away to Coventry City last week. In came seldom-seen players like Jamal Blackman, Carel Eiting and Naby Sarr alongside the returning Danel Sinani and Danny Ward – but it did not do Town’s performance any harm as two first-half goals were enough to settle the tie.

Harry Toffolo’s fifth goal in seven games was followed up by a Ward effort from close range after good work by Duane Holmes to create it, with late drama elsewhere seeing Nottingham Forest blow their lead away to Hull despite scoring a 92nd-minute penalty. That meant Town rose a place in the table and will now start their play-off campaign next Friday. Here are our five conclusions on the game.

It is remarkable how different this club now feels to last year. Fans did not need to be able to attend games last season for the discontent to be so palpable that you got an acrid taste in your mouth just from opening Twitter or visiting Down at the Mac.

The closest recent comparison we have to the feeling at the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday was the pre-season friendly at Southport last summer, when everyone was just delighted to be able to finally be back at a game of football. It was far from shorts weather on this occasion as it was back then, but the calves were out in spirit as Carlos Corberan happily strolled around outside the John Smith’s Stadium before the game, making himself available for selfies and autographs.

Short of a 5-0 defeat at