Two goals in two minutes at the end of the first half from Simon Baldry and Martin Smith dragged Huddersfield out of the relegation zone and left fellow strugglers Northampton deep in trouble.
Baldry latched on to a through ball from Smith on 44 minutes and ran around Cobblers keeper Lee Harper to put the home side ahead.
In injury time Baldry returned the favour with a high ball over the top that left Smith in the clear. The hitman coolly drew Harper off his line and then slotted the ball underneath him to register his 12th goal of season.
The Huddersfield players produced a performance full of passion and commitment even though the club has only paid 30 percent of their wages for February.
They have also not been paid in full for four straight months as the Terriers struggle to cope with debts of £6million and a wage bill of £3million.
Club captain Eddie Youds has said his colleagues are becoming frustrated with the situation and they will be meeting PFA reps on Monday, but their dissatisfaction did not seem to affect their performance.
And their efforts drew praise from Huddersfield first-team coach Dave Wilkes.
"The lads have gone on record to say that they are not happy about their situation but they understand the position the club is in and they have so far not allowed their feeling to distract them from doing a professional job.
"We might need at least another five wins to stand a chance of avoiding the drop and if the players continue to show that level of experience they will give themselves every chance of making it." The visitors started brightly and had Paul McGregor done better with a Chris Hargreaves cross on 14 minutes the games outcome might have been different.
Hargreaves over a right-wing cross straight on to McGregor's head but he could only direct the ball into Town keepers Phil Senior's arms.
Cobblers caretaker manager Martin Wilkinson, who took over from the sacked Terry Fenwick, said his side were unlucky to lose but they are not showing the kind of form that might see them stay up.
Northampton have only won once in 15 games and have now lost seven of their last nine matches, but Wilkinson refused to criticise them: "The morale in the dressing room is fine.
"I did not go in there to have a go at them because they harried and worked hard throughout and that is all I can ask of them."