Planet Swans ArchivesThree Swansea City players saw red as they crashed out of the Carling Cup at home to Scunthorpe earlier this season and with injuries they ended the game with just seven men as they departed the competition.
Next weekend the Swans travel to Scunthorpe and are looking to extend their unbeaten Championship run against the Iron but knowing that they can little afford a repeat of the red card madness.
Speaking to Wales on Sunday, Tate said “It was the strangest game I’ve ever played in and something I’ll never forget, we had three players sent off and it wasn’t even a dirty match.
“But there was a bit of red mist at the end and it cost us.
“Even when we had the first player sent off, we were passing the ball better than them and creating the chances.
“But there was a handball given against me which, was a bit debatable, they scored from the penalty and it was chaos.
“But I can tell you that will never happen again.
“Anyone who has seen us before will know that wasn’t us, that it was a freak, something that was once and once only.
“They might try and use what happened against us and wind us up but it won’t matter.
“But no-one will rise to it because that wasn’t us in that game.
“And I don’t think anything will need to be said beforehand about it. That game has gone and it won’t have any bearing on us going there and trying to take three points.”
Ironically, Tate saw red the last time the two sides met at Scunthorpe – a game that also saw Garry Monk stretchered off.
“It was the second game of the season, but it was my first appearance because I’d been suspended for the opener against Cheltenham.
“Kenny Jackett was manager at the time and he’d seen how desperate I was to get out there before the game and came up to me telling me to calm down and not do anything stupid.
“Fifteen minutes later and I was back in the showers for a tackle on Cleveland Taylor – although I don’t think he helped things.
“You could say the manager wasn’t best pleased.
“But that’s in the past now and it would be good to pick up a win there next week to put that behind me.”
