Saints v Leeds - pictures from cup tie at The Dell in 1960

Saints had let slip a 4-0 lead, but Derek Reeves was the star of the show as he netted an astonishing five goals, including a dramatic winner with only 25 seconds to go in regular time.

With only 20 minutes gone, Ron Reynolds was injured and forced to leave the field of play, leaving Ted Bates' squad a man down for the remainder of the game.

 It was in the days before substitutes were introduced and Cliff Huxford, who had never played in goal before, replaced Reynolds.

The hosts' woes were compounded with George O'Brien barely managing to hobble his way around the pitch for most of the game. The striker was clearly struggling with an injury.

The scene of extraordinary circumstance got even crazier when the floodlights suddenly went out not once but twice. For a grand total of 62 minutes, the stadium was enveloped in darkness, creating an unforgettable atmosphere for the spectators.

It was 10.20pm by the time the match was wrapped up.

On a Monday evening, with just 10 minutes played, all of a sudden everything went dark and not even a single goal had been scored yet. 

For 28 minutes, the players had to wait before they could get back into the game. To stay warm during this period, they kicked a ball around on the pitch for half that time.

Eleven minutes after the game had resumed, darkness descended on the stadium as the floodlights went out once more. This time, both teams were forced to wait for 34 minutes before they could return to the field.

Reeves had broken the deadlock with a goal shortly before the lights failed.

In virtual darkness, Reynolds was taken off on a stretcher after he hurt himself while attempting to tackle John McCole of Leeds. Seconds later, the floodlights went out for a second time.

After the match, an x-ray revealed that he had sustained a minor fracture to his spine and a painful wrist injury. Despite this, it was decided that an overnight stay in the hospital was not required.

When the game was resumed, Saints – who were a man down – found themselves with an incredible 4-0 lead against Leeds, their second-tier rivals at the time.

Reeves had completed his hattrick before half-time, adding a fourth three minutes into the second period.

Leeds started their comeback in the 53rd minute with a goal from Peyton and, after McCole had netted their second, Jack Charlton grabbed a third on 69 minutes.

Leeds put the pressure on, and it paid off when a foul was committed against Charlton within the box. Cameron levelled the scores past Huxford with a penalty.

The moment was set for Reeves to write history, as it became the first and only game in his career in which he scored five goals in a match. This outstanding performance propelled Saints into the quarter-finals of what was the inaugural League Cup competition.

A night of drama that has rarely ever been equalled, let alone beaten.

‘Saints Amazing Cup-tie’ roared a Southern Evening Echo front page headline the following day.