The ill-discipline which has blighted this season reared its ugly head again at BAA Field yesterday as three Cougars players were sent off and Vasco's Dwight Basden was taken to hospital after being kicked in the head.

Soccer became a side issue after the game erupted with a sickening incident in the 35th minute, which match official Leroy Wilson described as "the worst thing I have seen in 10 years as a referee''.

With Vasco leading an even contest 1-0, Cougars defender Wendell Swan won a header against Basden, but fell to the ground under the weight of the Vasco striker's challenge.

Swan reacted angrily and chased Basden, hauled him to the ground near the half-way line and punched him repeatedly.

Swan's brother Ryan Swan then ran about 20 yards to the grappling pair and kicked the grounded Basden in the head.

The game was held up for seven minutes while the Vasco trainer treated Basden and the three match officials discussed what to do next.

The two Swans were sent off and Basden was well enough to walk off the field to be replaced by Wayne Augustus.

The game resumed, but was held up again minutes later to allow an ambulance to drive across the pitch to pick up Basden and take him for a check-up at King Edward VII Hospital.

Last night hospital staff said the condition of the Bermuda international was stable.

Vasco had taken the lead in the 23rd minute, when Sinclair Gibbons tapped into an empty net after beating Cougars 'keeper Ricardo Brangman to Otis Steede's long ball.

Cougars had tested the league leaders' defence with some promising moves in the early stages, without creating clear-cut chances. Ryan Swan's wayward 25-yard shot in the 20th minute was their only attempt on goal in the first half.

The players seemed stunned by the double dismissal and play petered out tamely to the interval.

Amazingly, nine-man Cougars created the better chances in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, as first Dyer's looping header was acrobatically tipped over by Vasco 'keeper Timmy Figureido and then Shane Smith headed inches wide from a Dwayne Bean corner.

But Vasco capitalised on their numerical advantage in the 57th minute, when Derek Stapley lofted the ball over the square Cougars defence and Meshach Wade ran through to blast high into the net.

Cougars' Galvin Butterfield apparently decided he had had enough and seconds after asking his bench to take him off, he got himself sent off in absurd fashion.

The ball was long gone when Butterfield kicked wildly at Earl Richardson just yards away from referee Wilson in the 58th minute. The red card inevitably followed.

Vasco's third goal was also their best, a crisp 20-yarder from Otis Steede which fizzed into the bottom left-hand corner eight minutes from time.

Vasco: T.Figureido, D.Stapley, E.Richardson, K.Jennings, C.Roberts, M.Wade, O.Steede, T.Outerbridge, L.Durham, D.Basden (W.Augustus 42 mins), S.Gibbons (C.Anderson 45 mins). Cougars: R.Brangman, G.Butterfield, W.Swan, K.Swan, S.Smith, G.Dyer (R.Saltus 72 mins), S.Coddington, R.Swan, O.Samuels (D.Bean 48 mins (S.Hewey 85 mins)), M.Dill, W.Salaam.

Referee: Leroy Wilson.

Men of the match: Otis Steede (Vasco); Ricardo Brangman (Cougars).

DWIGHT BASDEN -- taken to hospital after being kicked in the head.