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Swansea City 1 - 2 Scunthorpe United

CHAOS broke out at the Liberty Stadium as Swansea City crashed out of the Carling Cup against the backdrop of a bizarre refereeing performance.

Swans boss Paulo Sousa and his bench were left urging the fourth official to abandon the game as they were left with just SIX players on the field as the game entered its dying stages.

Swansea, who had already seen Garry Monk sent off for a clash of heads after 85 minutes, fell behind in extra-time after Alan Tate was penalised for a handball that brought huge protests from the home players.

But then Isle of Wight official James Limmington proceeded to send off both Gorka Pintado and Angel Rangel which, with goalscorer Stephen Dobbie already off with a suspected broken rib and all replacements used, left Swansea with just seven men and raging against the actions of the man in the middle.

New boy Bresian Idrizaj was also unfit to continue in the dying stages, while angry confrontations between the two benches broke out as officials failed to control the match.

But, as the dust settles, the real cost could soon become clear with Swansea facing a striker crisis before the weekend Championship clash with Watford with Pintado and Dobbie now seemingly unavailable.

Add in the fact Monk will face a three-game ban and it will leave Swansea with a shortage of centre-backs as Albert Serran remains sidelined with a knee injury.

That is the harsh reality after the unbelievable scenes of this Carling Cup second-round clash which both the FA, FAW and the referee’s panel will surely have to investigate.

Swansea are already facing a charge of failing to control their players after the minor melee with Reading a week ago.

But that was nothing compared to the furious scenes here, initially sparked when Monk was given his marching orders with five minutes of normal time remaining and the scores deadlocked.

The Swans skipper had been involved in a head-to-head clash with Scunthorpe sub Michael O’Connor, Monk deserving his action for getting involved – yet O’Connor was surprisingly left unpunished.

And, as the game proceeded into extra-time, as Dobbie had cancelled out Niall Canavan’s early opener with 11 minutes to go, things flared up as Tate was found guilty of the handball to allow Gary Hooper to score from the spot.

With Dobbie already off after taking a nasty kick in the ribs from Josh Wright, Pintado then went for a late tackle having already been booked for an innocuous aerial challenge moments earlier.

And then the red was flamboyantly waved at Rangel 60 seconds later as he was accused of swinging an elbow at Matt Sparrow, prompting the angry scenes on the touchline.

All this from a game that had offered so little in terms of action or entertainment early on.

Especially from Swansea’s point of view, as it took far too long for a reshuffled rearguard to settle and solidify, by which time the hosts were a goal down.

Paul Hayes had caused the initial damage as he slammed a shot at young goalkeeper David Cornell at the near post, winning the corner that Canavan all-too-easily glanced home for a 13th-minute opener.

It would be wrong to suggest the effort from Swansea wasn’t there.

Nathan Dyer continued where he left off at Coventry by tracking and attacking with equal amounts of enthusiasm.

And fellow wideman Kerry Morgan was eager to impress once more, the Merthyr-born youngster rifling one shot from distance that had Scunthorpe stopper Joe Murphy concerned.

It was on the flanks that Swansea were finding some first-half joy, Rangel keen to get in on the act as the Iron refused to make more of the hosts’ below-par start.

And, from one right-sided move, Jordi Lopez was able to display a brief moment of ability, turning crisply on the edge of the box and shooting smartly enough to bring a smothering save out of Murphy.

But, while Swansea were pressing fairly timidly for the leveller, it was Scunthorpe who should have scored once more, Marcos Painter misreading the play in his first start in 10 months after recovering from serious knee injury and allowing Justin Forte to centre, only for Martyn Woolford to scuff his shot.

Swansea, though, were refusing to really count their blessings and, despite growing into the game, they were not troubling the scoreboard.

Gorka Pintado, sluggish throughout, did not pounce on the crosses that were coming his way like the hungry striker he is supposed to be, while Chad Bond was also guilty of mis-controlling he ball at the crucial moment.

Bond would make way at the break to allow the introduction of Dobbie, Swansea and Sousa clearly keen to continue in the Carling Cup.

And some last-minute extra words of advice on the pitch before the restart must have had an impact with Dobbie forcing a save from Murphy as he worked his way to a shot at the far post.

And the Scot would again be involved following good work between Pintado and Rangel, shooting inches wide with the pressure building.

Fed by fellow sub Mark Gower, Dobbie smashed an effort against the bar on 76 minutes as Scunthorpe went into their shells and decided to try and hang on for the victory to make cup progress.

But it was denied when Dobbie, played through by new boy Idrizaj, lashed home the leveller with 11 minutes remaining to force extra-time.

The normal time drama wasn’t over, however, as Monk saw red meaning Swansea would face the added 30 minutes with 10 men – yet Sousa refused to rein in his attacking formation with three players up front.

Before the end of the first period such good intentions would leave him with two men down, Dobbie the victim of a high challenge from Josh Wright that left the striker nursing what seemed like a rib injury.

But, as Swansea pressed, Hayes’ shot was blocked by Tate leading to the penalty that Hooper slammed home, sparking the start of an incredible finish that will now almost certainly have repercussions for all three parties.

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