While the modern-day Saints haven't exactly earned a reputation for dazzling, goal-laden spectacles recently, there was a time when the Dell roared with unbridled, almost chaotic, joy. A time when Ted Bates' men, those valiant warriors of the 1957/58 Division 3 (South) campaign, turned football into a veritable carnival of goals.

It was a season where the net rippled with such frequency that the average match saw a staggering four goals. 

Saints, with a swashbuckling, devil-may-care attitude, plundered a remarkable 112 goals, showcasing their attacking prowess. 

Of those, a jaw-dropping 78 were unleashed upon the hallowed turf of the Dell in just 23 home matches. 

In three of those matches, the net remained stubbornly unmoved, meaning those 78 goals were crammed into a mere 20 games, a rate approaching four goals per home game.

Bournemouth, utterly overwhelmed, succumbing to a 7-0 drubbing. Coventry, similarly battered, limping away with a 7-1 defeat. And then, a clash with Norwich, a pulsating 7-3 victory that surely lingers in the memories of those fortunate enough to witness it.

Exeter, too, felt the wrath of the Saints, hammered 6-0, while QPR and Watford were both dispatched with emphatic 5-0 scorelines. 

What a glorious season to be a regular at The Dell, a witness to such unbridled attacking flair!

But despite this avalanche of goals, this torrent of attacking brilliance, promotion eluded them. They finished a mere six points behind Brighton & Hove Albion, a cruel twist of fate in a time when only the champions ascended.

Let us delve deeper into that legendary clash with Norwich, a match that epitomised the sheer, unadulterated entertainment of that season. 

Barely a minute had ticked by when Derek Reeves, with a deft touch, sent the ball rippling into the net. 

Don Roper, not to be outdone, added a second just two minutes later, and then a third on the twelve-minute mark. 

A 3-0 lead was achieved with breath-taking speed!

Norwich, however, were not to be denied, clawing their way back to 3-2. 

But Reeves, with a striker's instinct, restored the two-goal cushion before the interval.

The second half continued in the same vein. 

Terry Paine, a name that echoes through Saints' history, added a fifth and then a sixth in quick succession. 

John Hoskins, with a towering header, made it seven, before Norwich managed a consolation goal. 

A crowd of 11,430, their voices hoarse, their hearts pounding, could scarcely have asked for more. 

Yet, remarkably, the attendance for the following match against Millwall was lower, a curious anomaly.

That season marked the end of the Division 3 South and North structure, with Saints needing a top 12 finish to secure their place in the newly formed Division 3. 

And secure it they did, finishing a comfortable sixth. And, of course, that remarkable tally of 112 goals remains a club record.