Tempers raged and cards were waved as depleted Dundee United crashed out of the Scottish League Cup in Inverness last night.
United took the lead in this quarter-final through a fabulous goal from Keith Watson after just five minutes but had striker Nadir Ciftci sent off following a mass brawl just before half-time.
It all went wrong after Gary Mackay-Steven went down after a clash with home captain Richie Foran. The players all piled in and the coaching staff got involved as well, with ICT boss Terry Butcher and United coach Darren Jackson both sent to the stand.
That left the Tangerines facing the whole of the second half a man down and they lost an equaliser just nine minutes after the turnaround when Gary Warren headed home from close range.
In all, they lost Ciftci to a red, Jackson to the stand and there were eight United bookings in no particular order for Mackay-Steven, Paul Paton, Gavin Gunning, John Rankin, Andrew Robertson, Morgaro Gomis, Sean Dillon and Brian Graham.
To their credit, they took the tie to extra-time but, despite defending brilliantly at times, conceded a last-gasp goal when Ross Draper headed into the net from close range.
United manager Jackie McNamara had chosen to tinker with the team that started on Saturday against St Mirren.
Back in came skipper Dillon and Watson at the back, with John Souttar and Mark Wilson left out completely.
Up front, McNamara dropped Brian Graham down to the bench and brought back Stuart Armstrong. The frontline was led, at least initially, by Ciftci.
The Tangerines, wearing their heritage strip of red and white with traditional one to 11 numbers, were backed by a noisy 750-strong support.
Possibly annoyed by the Tannoy announcer repeatedly calling them Dundee, the visitors started in determined fashion. United goalie Rado Cierzniak was the first to make a save as he smothered an Aaron Doran shot on two minutes.
Just a minute later, Robertson let fly with a decent effort from 20 yards at the other end of the park that zipped past the post. With five minutes on the clock, the Tangerines took the lead with a wonderful goal.
Watson was the scorer and his finish was sublime, but the build-up wasn’t bad either.
Ryan Gauld collected the ball out wide at the halfway line. He cut inside then pinged a pass with the outside of his foot across the pitch and into the path of the full-back. Watson took a touch, played it forward and then blasted it into the postage stamp from just inside the right-hand corner of the box.
On 10 minutes, it was nearly 1-1 when Doran slid the ball across to the back post. With Cierzniak beaten, the inrushing Billy McKay looked odds-on to poke the ball over the line but missed by inches.
A deep cross from Ciftci beat the Inverness offside trap and also, unfortunately, team-mate Mackay-Steven, who could only produce an air shot when in a decent position.
As United faded a bit as an attacking force, Doran tested Cierzniak again on 20 minutes but the Pole did well to hold the 25-yard strike. He tried his luck again five minutes later and this time the low shot just missed the far post.
United survived again just when a brilliant delivery from the left by Carl Tremarco was met by the head of Marley Watkins. It looked like the equaliser but Cierzniak stuck out a hand and kept the ball out of the net.
Some trademark trickery from Mackay-Steven on 36 minutes ended with him whipping over a decent cross into the box but there were no takers.
The Tannadice men were saved once again by Cierzniak when he dived to save a well-hit Nick Ross shot but he almost cost the team seconds later when he fumbled a high ball.
There was mayhem on the touchline on 40 minutes when all hell broke loose.
The end result was a red card for Ciftci, Butcher sent to the stand along with Jackson, while there were also bookings for Tannadice pair Gunning and Paton, and Inverness player Tremarco.
It all started when Mackay-Steven went down near the ICT technical area clutching his face after a clash with Foran.
In the chaos that ensued, Ciftci appeared to grab Gareme Shinnie and then the rest of the players joined in. There was pushing and shoving and the backroom staff got involved too.
Referee Kevin Clancy had lost control “You don’t know what you’re doing,” was the jibe from the away fans but once things calmed down a bit out came the cards.
As United regrouped, subs Gomis and Graham came on at the interval for Stuart Armstrong and Mackay-Steven, who had collected a caution seconds before the break.
It would be a long 45 minutes for the depleted Tangerines. There was a scare for the visitors four minutes after the restart when a cross from the right by Shinnie made it all the way to the back post and Cierzniak had to punch clear.
It wasn’t long before the home side levelled for on 54 minutes a free-kick was fired over from the right by Shinnie and was headed home by Warren.
A goal-bound Paton shot was cleared off the line by Tremarco as United hit back, then McKay missed an incredible chance from just yards out after he was found by a perfect ball from Doran on 59 minutes.
Gauld tried a cheeky chip for United on 67 minutes but ICT goalie Dean Brill looked untroubled as the ball sailed over the bar.
The Tangerines’ troubles increased when it became clear that keeper Cierzniak was struggling with a leg injury but he battled on.
Roared on by their support, United were doing well under the circumstances and Gauld fed Rankin down the left only for the midfielder to get too much on his cross.
Already up against it, the visitors lost Robertson to injury on 80 minutes and on came Calum Butcher.
United survived by the skin of their teeth in the final minute of regulation time when Doran’s shot was deflected just past his own post by Gunning.
There was a last-gasp shout for a penalty from the hosts when Dillon challenged Foran but referee Clancy said no and it was on to the extra-time.
The visitors were battling for every ball but the first period was free of real chances until, on 102 minutes, a Tremarco cross from the left was clipped just wide by the head of McKay for Inverness.
In the second period, play raged on without any serious opportunities being created. United’s defending was resolute at times but they finally gave way in the very last minute when Draper headed home the winner.