Swansea City lost their heads at the not-so-Gay Meadow with Garry Monk and Andy Robinson both seeing red during their bad-tempered defeat against struggling Shrewsbury Town.
The Swans pair were dismissed by referee Eddie Evans in a mad seven minutes just before half-time. Monk found himself taking an early bath on 43 minutes after picking up two yellow cards - first for shoving Ryan Lowe and then for tangling with Luke Rodgers.
Robinson joined him a couple of minutes later after an ugly clash with Darren Moss.
The midfielder planted his head into Moss's face after the Shrewsbury defender had made a firm challenge on him.
Manchester official Evans had no choice but to brandish his red card for the second time.
The double sending-off cost Kenny Jackett's promotion chasers any chance of victory against the lowly Shropshire outfit and it ensured a winning start for new Shrewsbury manager Gary Peters.
Jake Sedgemore fired the Blues ahead on 20 minutes before Dave Walton sealed the points for the home side nine minutes from the end.
Afterwards Swans chief Jackett, whose saw his side concede pole position in League Two after this reverse, said: "I'm disappointed with the two sending-offs.
"Gary's first booking was totally unnecessary and his second one looked dubious to me.
"But if he hadn't been booked the first time then the second one wouldn't have been so crucial.
"I thought the referee was right to send Andy off. Once you put your head into an opponent's face, you run the risk of being sent off and that's what happened to him.
"Whether the initial challenge on him was fair or not doesn't interest me." | SHREWSBURY | | Howie | | Moss | | Sedgemore | | Tinson | | Walton | | Whitehead | | Challis | | O'Connor | | Street | | Lowe | | Rodgers | SWANSEA | | Gueret | | Austin | | Gurney | | Monk | | Ricketts | | Martinez | | O'Leary | | Connor | | Forbes | | Robinson | | Trundle | REFEREE | | E Evans | ATTENDANCE | | 5,055 |
He added: "I was disappointed with our first-half display, but I was proud of my players in the second half.
"They gave it everything they had. They didn't stop trying and that's what I expect from Swansea City players."
With Shrewsbury's plans to build a 10,000-capacity stadium on the outskirts of the town given the green light last week, this may well prove to be Swansea's last ever visit to picturesque Gay Meadow.
The Shropshire club hope to be playing in their new home in 2006. By then the Swans will be hoping they are gracing League One.
This was Peters' first match in charge of the Gay Meadow outfit and the former Exeter chief had to try and make his charges forget about their humiliating FA Cup exit at the hands of non-league Histon a week earlier.
Goals | Jackett, on the other hand, kept faith with the same side that beat Darlington at the Vetch in midweek to go back to the top of League Two.
The Swans mustered their first raid on 12 minutes when Sam Ricketts drilled wide from 18 yards before Robinson saw his chipped cross kiss the top of the woodwork.
But Peters was savouring his first goal as Blues boss after 20 minutes. Kevin Austin only cleared Lowe's corner as far as Sedgemore and the midfielder rifled home from just inside the penalty box.
Swans goalkeeper Willy Gueret was then lucky to escape punishment after shoving Rodgers following a tussle with the Shrews striker on the goal-line.
The home crowd were baying for a red card, but referee Evans decided only a verbal warning was necessary for the Frenchman. | | Shrewsbury | | Sedgemore 21 | | Walton 81 | | Swansea | | None | | Card Count | | Booked | | Shrewsbury | | Lowe 40 | | Swansea | | Ricketts 38 | | Monk 41 | | Martinez 87 | | Sent Off | | Shrewsbury | | None | | Swansea | | Monk 43 | | Robinson 45 |
However, the red card would soon make an appearance. Shortly before the break Ricketts became the first player to make his way into Evans' book - the Swans defender was shown the yellow card for a crude tackle on Rodgers.
Shrews striker Lowe, for tussling with Austin, and Swans teammate Monk, for shoving Lowe, joined him moments later as this match started to simmer.
But the contest boiled over two minutes before the interval when Monk clashed with Rodgers and was sent off after picking up a second yellow card.
After dismissing Monk, Evans then fell to the floor Paul Alcock-style. The TV cameras will pick up whether a Swansea player was involved although Jackett believed the official merely lost his balance.
The Swans chief saw his side reduced to nine men on the stroke of half-time when Robinson was shown a straight red.
The second 45 minutes must have seemed an eternity for Jackett and his depleted side as Shrewsbury went looking for that killer second goal.
However, it was only a matter of time before Shrewsbury bagged their second and it came when the unmarked Walton headed Lowe's corner past Gueret.
SOURCE: WALES ON SUNDAY |