Darlington paid the price for another bad start to lose a bad-tempered clash at Ninian Park.

Quakers again conceded an early goal, this time after just five minutes, but they hit the woodwork twice and could have grabbed a point.

There was controversy in the game involving centre half Neil Aspin, who had to leave the field with a head injury following a clash with Cardiff striker Kevin Nugent after 25 minutes, and he made his feelings forcibly known at the final whistle, as did Quakers' manager Gary Bennett.

Quakers got off to their customary bad start after five minutes.

Josh Low crossed from the right for Nugent to head the ball into the path of Robert Earnshaw, who stroked it past Andy Collett - the eighth away game in succession in which Quakers have conceded the first goal.

Quakers continued to look shaky whenever the ball went into their box and a long throw from Andy Legg was headed over the bar by Nugent from 12 yards.

Quakers' rhythm was not helped when Aspin had to go off to be replaced by recent signing Jordan Tait, Stuart Elliott moving from right wing back into the centre of defence.

Cardiff created another chance after 29 minutes when Nugent headed a long ball down for Jason Bowen to volley just over from 12 yards.

Tait's first taste of action was to see a yellow card for a foul on Daniel Gabbidon on the half-hour mark.

Quakers nearly levelled with their first real attack after 34 minutes.

Lee Nogan, on the left, played the ball into the path of Richard Hodgson who struck a low, left-foot shot which hit the inside of the post and rebounded to safety.

A minute later Thomas Butler cut in from the left and found the side netting.

The midfielder went even closer just on half-time when he curled the ball from the edge of the box over keeper Mark Walton, but the ball hit the face of the bar and was eventually cleared by a defender.

Before the match resumed there was a heated argument between Bennett and Nugent, which a linesman had to sort out.

Martin Gray and Kevin Evans were then both involved in a brief scuffle and Bowen was lucky to be shown only a yellow card for a two-footed challenge on Adam Reed.

Quakers put together a couple of promising attacks and a run by Tait caused problems in the Cardiff box which forced a loose back pass by Scott Young which Gray intercepted, only to lose control of the ball.

Cardiff hit back by nearly scoring a second. Earnshaw escaped in the box to hit a powerful dipping shot which Collett saved at the foot of the near post, then Legg's subsequent corner drifted over everybody and hit the far post.

Quakers brought on Jesper Hjorth for Hodgson after 65 minutes but it was Cardiff who nearly broke through when Nugent set up the unmarked Bowen inside the area, but Collett easily saved his weak shot.

At the other end a chance fell to Nogan when Hjorth's pass bounced off the referee into his path, but Mark Walton saved his effort.

Nogan kicked the post in frustration after 78 minutes when a five-man move ended with Butler setting up Hjorth in an excellent position, but the substitute only gave Walton a simple save.

A minute later Tait, who had a good game on the right, set up Nogan on the edge of the box, but his shot was blocked.

Bennett put on young striker Craig Skelton for Brian Atkinson with seven minutes remaining, but Cardiff made sure of the points with a minute left.

Quakers were caught pushing forward and Earnshaw broke into the box where he and substitute Leo Fortune-West combined to give Evans the chance to beat Collett from ten yards.

Angry Darlington manager Bennett, stormed: "We're disgusted about what went on.

"Neil Aspin needed ten stitches in his head after a challenge from their man. Neil wouldn't get upset like that if it was an accident, which we think it wasn't. If it was an accident he would have said fair enough.

"I told the referee about it at half-time but he said that their lad caught Neil on the way back down.

"Yet again we don't get a good deal out of referees and a lot of decisions seem to go against us.

"The two-footed challenge on Adam Reed in the second half was disgraceful and their man should have been sent off."

On his team's performance he said: "I'm very disappointed that we started slowly. We didn't play as well as we could until the last 15 minutes of the first half.

"We should have scored at least once but several times the final ball wasn't very good at all."

l Leaders Chesterfield increased their lead at the top of the Third Division with a 2-0 win at Kidderminster.

Brighton, who visit Darlington on Saturday, moved into second spot on goal difference after a 2-0 win over Plymouth at Withdean Stadium. Richard Carpenter and Bobby Zamora were the scorers