MICK McCARTHY last night took the blame for Sunderland's embarrassing Carling Cup exit to Third Division Huddersfield Town.

McCarthy refused to condemn referee Mark Cooper for his part in their downfall - even though Huddersfield manager Peter Jackson admitted his side had benefited from a "strange decision" that put them 3-1 up and saw Ben Clark sent off.

The Sunderland manager's depleted team were well beaten by Huddersfield after he confessed their promotion charge was his No 1 priority.

And McCarthy said: "It's my squad, it was my decision to rotate it and my responsibility.

"Anybody wanting to lay blame at anybody's door, which I'm sure they will do after a 4-2 defeat, can put it fairly and squarely at my door.

"I can't fault them for effort, but I learned a lot of things about my squad tonight.

"It would be no good to have my first look at those players in a League game in January or February; that wouldn't be the right place to do it.

"If I pick from my own squad of players, I don't expect to get beat 4-2.

"I think the players out on the pitch should have been able to handle it.

"We had a mountain to climb after going 2-0 down, but I thought they responded well and we could have been level at 2-2 with the chances and play we had.

"But when we went 3-1 down and also went down to ten men, we had no chance.

"I told the players that I'll certainly learn from it, and I asked them to go away and think about it.

"I've no doubt that some of the players will be knocking on the door when they're out of the team, wanting to know why they're not playing.

"But perhaps this game highlights we're not that good a squad that we can tinker with it in a cup tie."

McCarthy was diplomatic when asked about the events surrounding Huddersfield's third goal and Clark's red card.

He said: "I asked the referee at the end of the game why, having sent the player off, he didn't give a penalty.

"He told me to go and talk to him later.

"Me moaning about it won't change the result.

"But if somebody commits deliberate handball it's usually a sending off."

Joachim Bjorklund was withdrawn at half-time last night as a precaution after feeling a tight hamstring.

With the game at Gillingham almost certain to be postponed because of international call-ups, Ben Clark is likely to miss the home clash with Cardiff City on October 14 through suspension after his sending off.