Clive Rose/Getty ImagesChelsesa were left stunned by Swansea in their first leg Capital One Cup semifinal.

The smash and grab. There is little in a football match that is more satisfying or galling -- depending on your perspective. Unfortunately for Chelsea, they were on the receiving end of one from Swansea rather than being the exponents.

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A game that the Blues dominated but were ultimately unable to convert into any tangible reward was exploited by a diligent, if unadventurous, Swansea side that did exactly what they came to do. There was little in the way of invention from the Welshmen, nor did they display anything in the way of ambition though that can hardly be a criticism when looking at the discrepancy between the two clubs in terms of scale, reputation or budget. Michael Laudrup set his team up to sit deep, absorb the inevitable pressure that they could expect as an away team at the home of the European champions and capitalise on any gifts that came there way.

And boy, did they receive some gifts.

Chelsea's undoing was a result of their own volition. Two cataclysmic defensive errors on behalf of Branislav Ivanovic have handed the Swans a foot in the final in the Capital One Cup, surely more than even their staunchest supporter could have wished for prior to kickoff. Ivanovic has been such a dependable asset that it would be churlish to pour scorn on the Serbian. The manner in which the two goals came about were all the more frustrating given the fact they were just about the only chances that Swansea had in the entire game and that they fell to two strikers -- in Miguel Michu and Danny Graham -- who are in ripe goalscoring form.

Given the fact that the two-goal deficit was largely the product of such aberrations, it seemed far too convenient for many of the Chelsea fans present to immediately heap all the blame at manager Rafael Benitez's door. If Ivanovic's two mistakes had been avoided and the more than capable starting eleven that he selected had managed to convert a third of the chances created in the first half, then the match would have been won handsomely.

While Benitez might not be a popular figure among the Stamford Bridge faithful, it seems harsh -- bordering on ridiculous -- to hold him responsible for rare individual errors upon which he has no influence. It was the players on the pitch who were wayward in their shooting and awry in their passing. They should be equally accountable, if not more so, for this quite shocking result. There are perfectly valid reasons for protesting against the appointment of one of the club's former antagonists, but making a scapegoat out of Benitez for the failings of others only serves to paint Chelsea fans as blinkered, agenda-propagating fundamentalists, and as a lifelong supporter myself, it is not an image that I want to be tainted with.

One area in which Benitez can be legitimately criticised for is in his hesitancy in making substitutions. It was clear -- as it has been for the last two years -- that Fernando Torres was not making any impact on proceedings and it was highly surprising to see him stay on the pitch for as long as he did. Equally, Oscar was also having a poor game -- something that has become a familiar occurrence over the last month or so. The fact that they were not replaced by the obvious replacements at the manager's disposal was a concern.

As if to condemn Torres even further, he was withdrawn to a chorus of boos whereas Demba Ba was brought on to stadium-wide cheers -- a new and clear indication as to where the 50 million pound man is currently held in the fans' affections. It did the Spaniard no favours that his replacement contributed immeasurably more in the nine minutes he was on the pitch than Torres did in the previous 81 minutes, with the new signing looking menacing from crosses into the box and having a brilliantly taken goal incorrectly ruled out for offside.

2-0 down and travelling away from home for the return leg, there can be no doubt that Chelsea face an uphill task to get to the final of the Capital One Cup. But all is not lost. Swansea are currently breathing rarefied air having never had any experience of life at the sharp end of competition. With Wembley within touching distance, there is every chance that they might stutter and provide the opportunity for the boys in Blue to take advantage in the same manner that their opponents managed on Wednesday night.

But for that to happen, the players need to take their chances. No excuses.

Follow Phil Lythell on Twitter @PhilLythell

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