Sheffield Wednesday's League Cup hopes were ended in the second round in a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Championship outfit Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park.
In first half injury time Michael Collins bent a 25-yard effort beyond Nicky Weaver and after the break Chris Dagnall struck a brace along with Michael O'Connor's penalty, after an incident that saw Richard Hinds given his marching orders against his former club. Substitutes Marcus Tudgay and Neil Mellor both found the net late on but in truth the Owls were always chasing the tie.
It was a return to a familiar hunting ground. Exactly one month ago Wednesday warmed up for the new campaign with a pre-season friendly against the Iron, whilst last term the two clubs faced each other in the Championship.
Alan Irvine made six changes to the side that beat Brighton & Hove Albion in the league at the weekend. Hind, Paul Heffernan, Daniel Jones, Jon Otsemobor, Clinton Morrison and skipper James O'Connor all made the starting line-up.
There was a familiar face in the Scunthorpe side, as Eddie Nolan, who had a loan spell at Hillsborough last season, lined up in the Iron rearguard.
And it was the Scunthorpe back four that came under some early pressure. Gary Teale and Otsemobor were both looking lively down the right flank, with numerous crosses testing the aerial ability of a backline that lacked its usual central defensive pairing of the towering Rob Jones and David Mirfin.
The first chance fell to the hosts. Collins' deep cross carved out a superb opening for Dagnall, who miscued a volley from inside the area wide.
Wednesday responded with a free-flowing passing move that culminated in Morrison heading narrowly over the crossbar after some quick and clever one-touch passing between Chris Sedgwick and Heffernan down the left.
Morrison continued to look dangerous and on the half-hour mark mustered a chance out of nothing. The 31-year-old swiveled to strike a full-blooded volley goalwards, only to see his audacious effort fizz over the bar.
And despite the Iron dictating the play, it was the Owls who continued to create the better openings. Teale kept in a ball at the Scunthorpe byline that he had no right to, before cutting back to Heffernan, who blazed over from inside the area.
With half time looming, Owls stopper Weaver was forced into action for the first time, palming over Michael Raynes' point blank header from a corner.
But Wednesday's hard work was all undone deep into first half stoppage time. Just when it seemed a Scunthorpe attack had broke down, Collins was allowed time on the left side of the box to superbly pick his spot and bend an effort into Weaver's top corner.
The Owls needed a flying start to the second period, but instead it was the hosts who flew out of the traps. Dagnall breezed past a couple of Wednesday defenders on the edge of the area before arrowing an effort low beyond Weaver's despairing dive.
Mellor was immediately thrown on in place of Heffernan and tested Joe Murphy in the Scunthorpe goal with his first meaningful touch. The on-loan striker burst onto a loose ball and hit a left foot effort only to be denied by a good low save from the Scunthorpe goalkeeper.
Tudgay and Tommy Miller were also introduced on the hour mark as Wednesday began to commit numbers forward in an attempt to find a route back into the tie.
But in throwing bodies forward, the Owls were left exposed at the back and Nolan almost put the game beyond any doubt with a spectacular curling effort, only to be denied by the inside of the post.
But it was only delaying the inevitable, as the hosts extended their lead in the 68th minute. An inch perfect diagonal pass found Dagnall who rolled the ball across for what looked like a simple tap in for Jonathan Forte, only for the frontman to be bundled over from behind by Hinds. The Wednesday defender was given his marching orders for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity and O'Connor slammed in the resulting spot kick.
Just when it seemed all hope had evaporated the Owls were suddenly on the scoresheet. Josh Wright bundled over Mellor in the area and substitute Tudgay fired the second penalty in a matter of minutes home.
But the Iron restored their three goal lead when Dagnall's bullet header flashed passed Weaver to take the make the score 4-1.
But the ten men refused to lie down. Jones' low cross from the right fell at the feet of Mellor who calmly side footed home from close range in front of the travelling Wednesday fans to reduce the deficit.
But despite plenty of effort from Wednesday, there was to be no late drama and all hopes of a League Cup run were ended.
Scunthorpe: Murphy, Togwell, Byrne, O'Connor (A. Wright 77), Dagnall (Boyes 89) , Raynes, Forte (Grant 70), J. Wright, Collins, Nolan, Canavan.
Unused substitutes: Slocombe, Coleman, Godden, Palmer.
Owls: Weaver, Otsemobor, Beevers, Hinds, Jones; Sedgwick (Miller 57), O'Connor, Potter, Teale (Tudgay 57); Morrison, Heffernan (Mellor 53).
Unused substitutes: Jameson, Spurr, Buxton, Coke.
Attendance: 4,680 (1,860 away)
