Darlington reached boiling point in an incident-packed game and paid for it by throwing away what would've been their first victory in two months.

The team's indiscipline has been an unwelcome feature of the season and during the 20 League matches so far the team has amassed a shocking eight red cards.

However, the effects of Saturday's dismissals of Ryan Valentine and Barry Conlon proved far more devastating than any others this season, because quite simply they cost Darlington a precious win.

Quakers have now failed to pick up a win in their last 12 matches and are still in the relegation zone. If, come May, Darlington lose their league status by two points they will have every reason to pinpoint Saturday's match as a wasted opportunity. For the first hour on Saturday Darlington fans could have been forgiven for forgetting about their relegation problems.

Playing against a team that had gone nine games unbeaten prior to the weekend David Hodgson's side more than held their own. But Quakers lost their composure and with it their two-goal lead and by full-time the hosts were hanging on for a point.

Valentine and Conlon both received red cards for violent conduct against Scunthorpe's Andy Butler.

Valentine retaliated and was sent off for violent conduct, as was Barry Conlon shortly afterwards and both red cards were immediately followed by Scunthorpe's goals.

After the match, Darlington manager David Hodgson remained pragmatic, stating he would prefer to see television replays before making a final judgment. Cautious but wise words from a man already facing a touchline ban after being dismissed from the dugout a week ago.

But he did admit the dismissals changed the game, effectively handing the visitors a point.

"Once we went down to ten men that gave them the opportunity to get back into the game, he said. "We got a bit disorientated, a little bit scrappy. We were on the back foot and Scunthorpe could sense that.

"I cannot say anything on the red cards until I see the video but if they are guilty they have lost the club three points and themselves three games.

"I was pleased with the way we played up to then, so to throw it away like that hurts me.

"We deserved to be winning because we were doing the right things. It's unfair to pick out individuals, but there were some good performances there but I'm annoyed with the result.

"Even though we haven't won for a while and Scunthorpe are unbeaten over recent games, before the game I wouldn't have been happy with a point.

"You know what I'm like, I want to win every game and I want us to play well. That was happening today until the red cards."

The first half was evenly contested with both sides having their chances but it was the Quakers who finished the last 15 minutes as the better side and were rewarded with Conlon's fifth goal of the season.

He latched onto a Nicholls though-ball before coolly slotting past the keeper from inside the box. The scoreline was fair, but against the run of play. Just before the hour mark Quakers doubled their lead with a fantastically-executed Neil Wainwright strike.

Nicholls was again involved, this time his cross from the right was half-cleared to Wainwright, currently deployed as a makeshift striker, and with his first touch he instinctively belted the ball into the net from 18 yards. Darlington were jubilant, Scunthorpe were rattled and the tackles started flying in and on 67 minutes, with Quakers in sight of their first win in two months, it all went wrong beginning with Kelly's lunge on Valentine which signalled a frenetic spell as tempers frayed.

Butler brought Valentine down and although the referee played the advantage in Darlington's favour, Valentine, clearly not satisfied, sought his own retribution and stood toe-to-toe with the defender. Butler saw the opportunity to land Darlington's full-back in bother and decided to fall to the floor clutching his face.

As Butler writhed around the floor in what appeared to be contrived agony, referee Tony Leake immediately showed Valentine the red card.

Buoyed by the dismissal, three minutes later the visitors halved the deficit when Steve Torpey's shot was saved by Michael Price, but the ball rebounded off the unfortunate Liddle into his own goal. Even with a 2-1 lead, Quakers knew from that point they were up against it.

Darlington's misery was then completed when Beagrie notched a penalty but not before Conlon joined Valentine in the changing room with Butler again at the centre of the controversy.

Firstly, Conlon conceded the spot-kick after handling and before Beagrie could convert from 12 yards, the big Dubliner also went toe-to-toe with Butler and again the United defender hit the deck like the proverbial sack of potatoes.

Home fans were incensed by Butler's gamesmanship, but it's difficult to defend either of the Darlington offenders as both could have avoided getting into bother