Peter Ward and his team-mates would have loved an ice bath in the changing rooms at the Goldstone.

It would have given them somewhere to keep the post-match beer nicely chilled.

This brilliant behind-the-scenes picture shows the Albion hotshot rehydrating after a famous League Cup tie at home to Derby County in the 1976-77 season while boss Alan Mullery shares a chat.

Ward’s goal after just 37 seconds gave third division Albion the lead in their fourth-round tussle with top-flight Derby, who were managed by Dave Mackay.

The Rams had been champions a couple of years earlier and, though now a fading force, rolled back time in the run-up to the Goldstone clash by thrashing Tottenham 8-2 with Bruce Rioch scoring four.

Albion’s match programme revealed how Derby had flown down on the day of the game and would be jetting back home soon after full-time – but it was the jet-heeled Ward who gave them the biggest fright.

He recently told The Argus: “I remember it well. I scored after about 40 seconds. It was at the North Stand end and I was on the far left corner of the box. I screamed it into far side and it just flew in.

“We had played West Brom and Ipswich from the first division so it was a good cup run.”

Derby included seven internationals in their line-up and Welsh wizard Leighton James scored their 24th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw.

The Argus:

Peter Ward on a recent visit to the Amex

His compatriot Rod Thomas was at right-back with England’s Roy McFarland and Colin Todd in central defence. Rioch and fellow Scotland ace Archie Gemmill played in midfield and England’s Charlie George was up front.

Behind them, future Albion goalkeeper Graham Moseley made his first visit to the Goldstone.

Asked if he remembered the goal, he replied with a laugh: “Yes, it was Peter ‘I must score’ Ward, wasn’t it?

“I’d never been to Brighton before. I remember stopping off at a place on the seafront and getting ready for the game.

“The Goldstone had a slope on it and it got heavy by the South Stand. Being a goalkeeper it was sometimes quite difficult moving around at that end.

“But the ground used to create a terrific atmosphere. You would always get a lot of banter from the North Stand, it was a good laugh.”

A crowd of 33,601 saw the Rams given a midweek fright under the lights and 17,554 had turned up for a reserve game the previous week against Charlton, when League Cup tickets were being sold on the turnstiles.

Albion lost the replay 2-1 but eventually went up as runners-up to Mansfield with Ward scoring 32 league goals to go with his three in the League Cup and one in the FA Cup.

Now involved in youth football coaching in Florida, he would love to see a promotion repeat and hopes to be back at the Amex at some stage in the run-in.

He said: “I don’t want to go through that play-off stuff!

“I’m hoping and trying to get back for a match before the end of the season.”

Albion: Moseley; Tiler, Rollings, Cross, Cattlin; Towner, Horton, O’Sullivan; Ward, Mellor. Sub not used: Fell.

Derby: Moseley; Thomas, Todd, McFarland, Newton; Macken, Gemmill, Rioch, Powell; James, George. Sub not used: Newton.