Swansea City: Garry Monk rues two red cards in FA Cup defeat

Kyle Bartley was sent off for this challenge on Josh King

Swansea City boss Garry Monk has lamented Kyle Bartley and Gylfi Sigurdsson being sent off in their 3-1 FA Cup fourth round defeat at Blackburn.

Monk said defender Bartley "ran a risk" with his early challenge on Josh King.

By the time goalscorer Sigurdsson was banished for his foul on Chris Taylor, Swans were already trailing.

"Gylfi's one was disappointing. You can't react like that. But I don't think it was a red card," said Monk.

"I think a yellow would have been sufficient there."

Sigurdsson powered in a 25-yard strike after Bartley's dismissal to which Taylor replied.

Rudy Gestede bundled the ball in for Blackburn's second and Craig Conway added a third to send the hosts through to the fifth-round draw.

Monk "expected" Bartley's red card amid the aftermath of his actions.

"Obviously with Kyle he's got himself into a position where the lad [King] just got ahead of him," said Monk.

"You can't quite see from the angle I saw it from whether their arms were across each other, or who was pulling what.

"But in those positions you always run the risk, and the referee was quick to get the red card out - so obviously he thought it was a red card.

Garry Monk succeeded Michael Laudrup as Swansea manager in February 2014

"To be fair to the forward he didn't appeal for it.

"If you watch his reaction he didn't appeal for anything - it was his team-mates.

"But the referee was sprinting to get the red card out, so I expected it to come."

Monk said referee Craig Pawson reacted in a similar manner to Sigurdsson.

"Again the referee sprinted to get the red card out, he couldn't wait," said Monk.

"So we accept that, it's the norm.

"But I said to Gylfi: 'You can't react like that because with the way it has been for us, you're likely to get that red card.'

"But I thought that was a little bit harsh, to be fair, at the end of the game."

Monk felt his side coped well without Bartley before Conway's winner.

"Getting towards the last 10 minutes of the game our shape was very good," said Monk.

"We talked about it at half-time when we regrouped, about what we needed to do.

"And we were doing it. They didn't really look much of a danger.

"There were a couple of long balls, but no real shots on our goal.

"But to give away that second goal as we did was poor from a set piece, and poor marking from us. It was just too cheap."