SUNDERLAND were knocked out of the Carling Cup before Newcastle United had even entered it last night after an incredible decision from referee Mark Cooper.

In front of just 13,516, the Stadium of Light's lows crowd for a senior match, Cooper awarded Huddersfield Town's decisive third goal - then immediately sent off Ben Clark for deliberate handball in the build-up to Andy Holdsworth's strike.

To compound the confusion, Cooper showed Clark the yellow card before brandishing the red - even though the defender had not been booked before that incident.

And the hapless referee even seemed to blow his whistle for Clark's infringement before Holdsworth put the ball into the net. But he still allowed the goal to stand. Perhaps Cooper accidentally pulled the wrong card out of his pocket, but his barmy behaviour still left him open to accusations of gross incompetence.

Even Huddersfield manager Peter Jackson admitted: "I can't see why he sent the player off and gave a goal as well.

"I found it a strange decision but I'm not complaining."

At least seven Sunderland players remonstrated with Cooper after the 55th-minute turning point, but the referee stuck to his decision.

Clark had kept out Andy Booth's goalbound header with his hand after Michael Ingham had blocked a shot from Jon Worthington.

The loose ball fell to Holdsworth, who applied the coup de grace from two yards, but Cooper then stunned Sunderland with an amazing double whammy.

Mick McCarthy was in earnest conversation with Cooper as they walked down the tunnel after the final whistle.

But the referee's words will have been of little solace to the Sunderland manager.

On a chilly autumnal evening, Sunderland were caught cold after just 68 seconds as they fell behind to a 25-yard free kick from Tony Carss.

They conceded a second goal on 20 minutes but halved the deficit through Kevin Kyle shortly afterwards, only for Cooper's calamitous actions to undermine their efforts.

Newcastle, who bypassed the second round because of their European exertions, will only take their place in the Carling Cup when the draw for round three is made this Saturday. Sunderland, meanwhile, have only the Nationwide League to keep them occupied until the FA Cup begins in the first week of January.

Cooper's litany of errors ought not to distract from a terrible performance from a Sunderland side that showed six changes from the team that began Saturday's 1-1 draw at Derby County.

Huddersfield played well above their Third Division station, but for the Black Cats this was akin to a return of the bad old days of the past two years.

Too many passes were misplaced and boos rang round the Stadium of Light from the moment Huddersfield striker Jon Stead put the visitors two goals in front.

Sean Thornton went close with three free-kicks which were beaten out by goalkeeper Ian Gray, but the Huddersfield goalkeeper was otherwise relatively untroubled.

Although Sunderland had a much-changed line-up, they could not use the makeshift defence fielded by McCarthy for this game as an excuse for going 2-0 down.

Booth laid the ball off to Stead 25 yards out, and as the young striker took his time to control the pass Sunderland's defence stood off him.

He made them pay for their hesitancy, curling a shot beyond the helpless Ingham and just inside the far post. Kyle struck his first goal of the evening from John Oster's near-post corner. But Huddersfield refused to be cowed by Sunderland's instant response.

Instead, they were good value for their lead, even before Cooper played a huge role in taking the tie away from Sunderland.

A mistake from Darren Williams gifted Booth the chance to put Huddersfield 4-1 up, and Kyle's stoppage-time strike was too little, too late for the hosts.