While all the pre-match talk centred around young England striker Richard Offiong it was Barry Conlon who stole the show against his former club.

Offiong, who arrived on a months loan from Newcastle on Friday, showed glimpses of his potential but it was ex-Roots Hall favourite Conlon who caught the eye more than anyone as he made one and scored the other to claim a vital three points on a bitterly cold and wet afternoon at Feethams.

The win takes Quakers up just one place but eight points ahead of bottom club Boston to provide some much needed breathing space.

And Darlington will have little trouble in extending the gap if they continue to grind out results like they did on Saturday.

Quakers produced another gritty, workmanlike performance, which has become their trademark under caretaker boss Mick Tait, whose chances of taking the job on permanently seem to be improving by the week.

While it may not have been pretty, Quakers proved they're more than capable of scrapping out results.

"I would have liked it to have been a little bit more entertaining but I've got to be happy with the three points which was our main aim," said Tait.

"We've been playing well but we've had too many draws.

"I told the players after the game that I'll take a dip in form as long as we get three points from it.

"It was a bit spasmodic the performance today.

"We played really well in certain times of the game and at other times not so well."

Tait made three changes from the side which fought back to earn a point at Shrewsbury a week earlier.

Stuart Whitehead and Matt Clarke formed a new defensive pairing in the absence of suspended skipper Craig Liddle while Gary Pearson had to settle for a place on the bench along with Ian Clark, who made way for Offiong.

Perhaps the most surprising decision of the afternoon came when Clark Keltie was handed the captains armband.

Experienced old heads like Conlon and Simon Betts may have been prime candidates for the captaincy but Tait revealed the biggest talker in the line-up was 19-year-old Keltie, making only his eighth start in professional football.

"I had a word with Craig Liddle and we went through all the team and we were looking at who would be the talker on the pitch today with Craig not being there," said Tait.

"And there isn't anyone that is as loud and noisy as Clark Keltie.

"He's the only one who opens his mouth really loud on the pitch and I thought why not?"

The stand-in skipper can do no wrong at the moment but on Saturday, the youngsters elation at leading his side out soon turned to frustration when his eighth minute penalty was brilliantly saved by Darryl Flahaven.

Shrimpers could have few complaints when referee Mark Cowburn pointed to the spot after Conlon was impeded by defender Leon Cort.

But Keltie, who opened his account at Shrewsbury last week, was denied his second goal of the season when Flahaven guessed correctly, brilliantly turning away the midfielders spot-kick.

Cort, brother of Newcastle striker Carl, almost handed Quakers another penalty literally when the ball got tangled between his hip and his arm but the referee waved play on amid protests from the home side.

Quakers continued to press forward and a Nicholls drive after 18 minutes was deflected wide as the home crowd began to find their voice.

On-loan winger Tony Scully, who was instrumental in his sides FA Cup win at Hartlepool in midweek, again proved to be a real menace down the right and an inviting cross for Barrington Belgrave may well have brought more but for the presence of Whitehead who did enough to put the striker off as the ball was slid wide.

At the other end Conlon and Offiong combined well only for the latter to be cynically dragged down by David McSweeney on the edge of the box.

The Shrimpers defender was booked for his troubles and the resulting free-kick was drilled straight at the wall by Betts.

Quakers' next attack proved more fruitful when Conlon claimed his third goal in as many games.

Nicholls' corner from the left found Whitehead on the edge of the area. The defender headed back into the box and the ball eventually fell to Conlon, who rammed the ball home from close range.

The big Irishman's smile could be seen from all corners of the ground as he celebrated the sweetest of goals against his former employers.

The goal seemed to bring more confidence to Quakers' play with Neil Wainwright in particular looking sharp.

With half-time approaching McSweeney almost gifted Darlington a comical second goal when he turned Wainwright's cross against his own post.

Quakers were presented with another opportunity to score early in the second half when the referee awarded an indirect free-kick on the edge of the six-yard box when Flahaven picked up Mark Beard's pass back.

Keltie drilled his shot towards goal only to see his effort cleared off the line.

Minutes later the visitors were awarded a dubious penalty when Kevin Maher burst into the box before taking a tumble over Ryan Valentine's outstretched boot.

Blackpool official Cowburn found himself surrounded by Quakers players after pointing to the spot and perhaps justice was done when Tes Bramble sent his spot-kick blazing over the bar.

Scully then found the net only to be flagged for offside while at the other end Keltie forced Flahaven into the save of the game with a stinging long range effort which was palmed away by the Shrimpers keeper.

Then with three minutes remaining Nicholls effectively killed off any hopes Southend had of getting back into the game when he was played in down the left flank by Conlon before curling his effort into the top right corner of the net.

Bramble pulled a goal back in stoppage time but the day belonged to Conlon, who earned his side a thoroughly deserved win.