Darlington are still searching for their first point of the season after last night's 1-0 defeat at Northampton Town.

Former Sunderland striker Martin Smith's 43rd-minute strike was enough to settle a lively encounter at the Sixfields Stadium and condemn Quakers to their third straight League defeat, to leave Mick Tait's men rooted to the bottom of Division Three ahead of the Bank Holiday clash with Leyton Orient at the Reynolds Arena.

Tait made two changes from the side beaten 2-0 by Kidderminster Harriers six days earlier, with defender-come-striker Matt Clarke returning from an ankle injury to partner Barry Conlon in attack, Glen Robson dropping to the bench, while Gary Pearson was handed a start at the expense of Ian Clark.

It was Clarke - used as an emergency striker to good effect last season when he hit two goals against Kidderminster - who was involved in the game's first attack when he was set free down the left by Ashley Nicholls' weighted pass but his low cross intended for Barry Conlon was well cut out by Cobblers' skipper Paul Reid.

The physical presence of Conlon and Clarke continued to cause the home side problems, although it was skipper Craig Liddle who came closest to giving the visitors an early lead when his neat finish inside the box was ruled out for offside.

Conlon appeared to be barged inside the area after seven minutes but instead of awarding a penalty, the referee booked the big Irishman for taking a tumble in the box.

The referee brandished his second caution of the evening seconds later when Ryan Valentine was shown the yellow card for a challenge on defender Luke Chambers.

Reid then came to his side's rescue again with 19 minutes on the clock when Clarke's low drive was brilliantly blocked by the former Rangers defender.

A minute later only the heroics of Andy Collett in the Quakers goal prevented the home side from taking the lead when Smith saw his low effort from outside the area brilliantly tipped away.

However, it was Conlon who was presented with the chance of the half when he found himself unmarked six yards out but headed Neil Maddison's cross over the bar.

Quakers were made to pay when Fabian Bossy conceded a free-kick on the edge of the area with two minutes of the half remaining.

Welsh international Paul Trollope, Reid and Smith all gathered around the ball and it was the latter who took the responsibility in style when he curled a superb left-footed effort beyond the despairing dive of Collett.

Josh Low - a £165,000 capture from Oldham during the summer - should have done better with two minutes of the second half played when, as Quakers' defence went to sleep, he latched on to Martin Reeves' through ball, only to fire tamely at Collett.

The Cobblers, relegated from the Second Division last season, continued to dominate and only the intervention of Liddle prevented Martin Wilkinson's side from going two up when he headed clear under pressure from Low, who moments later pounced on Bossy's misplaced pass before sending a weak effort wide of Collett's goal.

Not for the first time in the evening Reid again proved to be the rock at the heart of the Cobblers defence when he flung himself at Nicholls' close-range drive.

At the other end, fellow skipper Liddle showed why his presence is so important to Quakers when he stuck a foot out to turn away a Low effort. With ten minutes remaining Smith almost claimed his second goal of the night when he ghosted past Liddle before firing wide.

Substitute Ian Sampson then headed over Peter Clark's corner before Reid drove an audacious 35-yard free-kick over the bar.

Tait introduced Robson with time running out and the former Blyth man almost levelled with virtually his first touch when he curled a shot just wide. And deep in injury time Conlon earned a free-kick on the edge of the area but Gary Pearson's fierce shot was deflected over

Result: Northampton Town 1 Darlington 0.

Read more about the Quakers here.