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Rams were left with Easter egg on faces
Anton Rippon looks back 50 years to a struggling return to the Second Division for the Rams and an Easter campaign which ended with topsy-turvy results.
The Rams, back in the old Second Division after scoring more than 100 goals on their way to the Third Division North Championship the previous season, scored a vital win.
Then, just a day later, they capitulated to the same opponents in the most spectacular fashion.
Derby had made a disastrous start to their first season back in Division Two. In August 1957, on the opening day, they lost 2-0 at Fulham, then 5-2 at Bristol Rovers in midweek and 4-1 to Barnsley (managed by former Rams star Tim Ward) in their first home game, which was watched by more than 22,000 fans.
Clearly, manager Harry Storer had to make changes for the return match with Bristol Rovers. Out went joint record goalscorer Ray Straw, the bustling former Ilkeston coalminer, and in came little George Darwin, signed from Mansfield Town the previous May in exchange for reserve full-back Keith Savin.
Rugged Martin McDonnell switched to centre-half to replace the polished local product Ray Young, a former England schools international, and the Rams recorded their first win.
Darwin and Jack Parry, also Derby-born and bred, scored in the 2-1 victory.
Derby, though, still had problems, notably at goalkeeper and centre-half.
At the beginning of October, Ken Oliver became the third number five tried that season. He played in the 1-0 defeat at Meadow Lane, where Notts County centre-half Peter Russell was sent off for apparently striking Rams winger Dennis Woodhead.
The same month, Straw, goalscoring hero of the promotion season, was transferred to Third Division South club Coventry City.
When Coventry eventually helped make up the new Fourth Division, Straw became the first footballer to play in all six Divisions – First, Second, Third, both Third North and South, and Fourth.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Terry Webster was also having problems. In two weeks, he conceded seven goals, including four at home to Huddersfield Town, when a teenage Denis Law beat him from the penalty spot.
On that murky November day, the game kicked-off at 2.15pm because Huddersfield refused to play under floodlights, as they were entitled to do at that time.
It was almost the end of Webster’s League career.
He was replaced by 28-year-old Ken Oxford, a Rams amateur in the late 1940s, who was signed from Norwich.
Oxford made his debut in the goalless home draw with Stoke on December 14.
Defeat at Bristol City on Christmas Day – the last time the Rams would ever play a match on December 25 – was soon forgotten when Derby beat City 5-2 at the Baseball Ground on Boxing Day.
Those two results were yet further examples of the topsy-turvy nature of holiday season football.
But the New Year was less than happy. Appearing in the FA Cup third round for the first time since 1955, Derby lost 5-0 at Middlesbrough, where Brian Clough scored one of the goals.
Left-back Roy Martin regained his place after an 11-month lay-off with a broken leg, suffered in a home game against Mansfield the previous March.
But the defence was still leaky and it was not until Easter Monday 1958 that survival was assured, when Swansea Town, as they were then known, were narrowly beaten before the season’s lowest Baseball Ground attendance of 14,683.
It was as well. The following day, Ivor Allchurch’s hat-trick helped the Swans, still in deep trouble themselves, crush the Rams 7-0 at Vetch Field.
Derby’s attitude was all wrong and complacency at having survived for another season in Division Two cost them their heaviest defeat for years.
“Mr Storer signalled to trainer Ralph Hann, who passed an instruction across to the players. The result was a dramatic second-half transformation which brightened up an otherwise not-very-exciting relegation-issue game.
“Gordon Brown, troubled by a calf injury, had continually been sacrificing possession to Swansea and goals had looked out of the question until the Rams manager signalled that Powell should take over at inside-left.
“That did it! A victory which had been in doubt became a certainty and the Rams went on to win by 1-0.
“Ryan, who had had a fair first half, relished having somebody with Powell’s know-how to link up with and he became a giant.
“He carried the ball forward and used it really well. He went close to playing Ivor Allchurch, until then Swansea’s most dangerous forward, out of the game.
“Powell also relished the switch. He became much more sprightly and his constructive ability gave rhythm to an attack whose goal-getting efforts had earlier carried an air of modesty which almost brought tears to the eyes.
“Not that the Rams suddenly became power-packed in attack. But if their finishing was still somewhat suspect, the quality of their moves was much brighter.
“After Swansea had got off to a reasonable start, the Rams soon gained distinct territorial advantage. The forwards, however, persisted in trying to walk the ball into a point-blank shooting position.
“Swansea, too – somewhat surprisingly in view of the desperate nature of their League position – had far more ball-play than fight in attack.
“In the opening phase they did enough to suggest that the Rams’ defence was going to be fully tested. But Young, after being in trouble when the ball was in the air, settled down to give a stylish and cool performance, while Upton was a real Trojan – always wanting to do the work of two men.
“Martin was the pick of two sound full-backs and Oxford never looked like making a mistake. Powell, after switching inside, became the Rams one really outstanding attacker.
“Last, but by no means least, Roy Womack. This former Denaby youngster was certainly no failure, although he was handicapped at times by lack of experience.
“Swansea were well served by hard-hitting, determined Ray Daniel but their real defensive star was Harry Griffiths, who has played for Wales as an outside-left.”
So, Derby County were safe at last. But, 24 hours later, against a team they had just beaten, came a result that stunned Rams supporters.
Wilf Shaw again takes up the story: “Why did Derby County concede seven goals last night for the first time in 10 years?
“The answer – their mental approach to the game was all wrong. Too many of them lacked the will to resist.
“The Rams went on to the Vetch Field pitch far too conscious of the fact that Swansea Town could do nothing to stop them being in Division Two next season.
“So Swansea, who still have a relegation issue to feel urgent about, won the handsome way and without being in the least extended.
“The Swans wanted the ball from the start. They showed a will to win which was far in excess of what they had produced at the Baseball Ground the previous day.
“But, because the degree of real resistance was appallingly low, the Town did not have to fight for long. They were soon able to slow down to exhibition stuff.
“The 15,862 crowd went home content, with renewed hopes that relegation could be avoided. But they had paid to see a contest and, in this direction, they had been disappointed because of the Rams’ lethargic attitude.
“So lacking in ideas and enterprise were the Rams forwards, that there were only three shots at the Swansea goal and only one of those was dangerous.
“There can, therefore, be no favourable mention for any member of this woefully inadequate Rams attack. All five forwards were abject failures with the right flank, in particular, quite pathetic.
“Crowshaw was never in the game and Mays was always fighting a losing battle against a temperament which causes him to carry a chip on his shoulder when things go wrong.
“No criticism of Ryan and Upton. Without touching their best, these two tried hard enough, although Ryan’s anxiety to get his attack going caused him to give too much hope to the Swans’ No 1 danger-man Ivor Allchurch.
“Martin was another trier but Len Allchurch was always his master. Oxford did right well – if he hadn’t there might have been a record defeat to enter in the Rams’ records.
“In possession, Young showed flashes of class but he just did not ‘bite’ when Terry was making the running.
“Similar remarks apply to Barrowcliffe , whose tackling was most indifferent. Yet, he should have been the Rams’ one outstanding player.
“The Swansea team dazzled. It seemed unbelievable that they should have relegation worries – until one took in the fact that the Rams must have been the poorest side seen at Vetch Field for years.”
The Swansea goals had come from Mel Charles (10 and 85 minutes), Ivor Allchurch (13, 43 and 50), Len Allchurch (44) and Ray Daniel, who cracked in a 39th-minute penalty.
In the last home match of the season, Reg Ryan scored in the 1-0 win over Grimsby, before a 2-1 defeat at Stoke left Derby in 16th position.
Swansea, too, survived, thanks to a last-day win at Bristol City.
For both clubs, the 1957-58 season had been one of struggle and ups and downs, never more graphically illustrated than by those crazy 48 hours over Easter.
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