DARLINGTON suffered late heartache against Nuneaton Town, conceding a winning goal four minutes into added on time in their second match at Blackwell Meadows.

They looked to have snatched a dramatic draw when Dave Syers headed home in the final minute, but Jordan Nicholson got the winner to make it 2-1.

The scoreline means Quakers drop to sixth in the table and have now not kept a clean sheet in 22 successive matches in all competitions.

More recently, they have conceded at least twice in each of their last eight fixtures, and have won only one of their past ten matches in league and cup.

That solitary victory was over FC Halifax Town on Boxing Day, their first match at Blackwell.

But there was to be no win in their second fixture at the venue, Nuneaton manager Tommy Wright enjoying a victory on his return to Quakers.

In a first half of few chances for either side, Gary Brown blocked from Nicholson inside the penalty area after the first long throw of the day by Exodus Geohagon, the former Darlington defender whose every touch was booed by the home support.

His brief spell with the club in 2011 is not remembered fondly, but he got the better of Quakers’ Mark Beck, the giant defender winning most aerial balls.

Kevin Burgess made another crucial block when he stopped Darragh Leahy’s effort after a Nuneaton free-kick, and at the other end of the pitch the Darlington skipper headed wide after a cross by Stephen Thompson.

Thompson was making his 200th appearance for Quakers since signing from Durham City in 2012.

Burgess spurned a better chance, shooting wide on the turn on the turn from around ten yards after a throw by Brown and Nuneaton goalkeeper Christian Dibble, son of former Hartlepool goalkeeper Andy, completed an eye-catching save when he tipped onto the post a Leon Scott header.

It looked like Scott would be rewarded for his late run into the penalty area to meet a Josh Gillies cross, but Dibble’s outstretched hand kept the score at 0-0.

It remained scoreless for the remainder of a half in which Quakers created marginally more, though the closest either team came to breaking the deadlock was when Nathan Cartman had the ball in the net after Stephen a Thompson pass, but a linesman’s flag had long since been raised.

Early in the second half Darlington were the most likely to go ahead, Geohagon deflecting wide a Terry Galbraith shot, Cartman was narrowly off target and Gillies also shot a couple of yards wide, but it was Nuneaton who broke the deadlock on 58 minutes.

Brown rashly went to ground to bring down ex-Gateshead striker Reece Styche, Joe Ironside scoring the resultant penalty.

The atmosphere having been subdued until this point, Nuneaton’s goal appeared to awaken the Tin Shed, Quakers’ supporters beginning to make much more noise.

They almost had a goal for a hometown hero to celebrate too. Darlington-born Harvey Saunders, with his first touch after replacing Cartman forced a fine save from Dibble.

It was the keeper’s second fine save of the day, and then Jameson made a popular stop when he pushed over from public enemy number one Geohagon.

Dibble could not stop Syers’ header in the final minute, however.

Chris Hunter, who started instead of Liam Marrs who has an ankle problem, hoisted the ball into the penalty area when Syers’ header nestled into the back of the net.

With fans urging Quakers forward and a six minutes of injury time being announced, a winner was on the cards.

But it was Nuneaton who got, the goal coming in the fourth minute of injury time when they counterattacked.

Ironside beat Phil Turnbull to a header, the ball falling into Nicholson’s path and the forward, on loan from Peterborough, made no mistake.

Darlington are back at Blackwell next Saturday when they face Gloucester City.

Goals: Ironside pen (58, 0-1); Syers (90, 1-1); Nicholson (94, 1-2)

Bookings: Geohagon (49, foul); Brown (62, foul), Beck (64, unsporting behaviour); Ironside (65, persistent infringements), Dibble (77, time-wasting)

Referee: Gareth Rhodes (Selby)

Attendance: 2,313

Darlington (4-4-2): Jameson; Hunter, Burgess, Brown, Galbraith; Thompson (Syers 67), Scott (Watson 83), Turnbull, Gillies; Cartman (Saunders 74), Beck. Subs (not used): Bell (gk), Falkingham

Nuneaton Town (3-5-2): Dibble; Penny, Geohagon, Langmead; Clifton, Nicholson, Morgan, Elliott (Tempest 87), Leahy; Styche (Taylor 82), Ironside. Subs (not used): Scott, Anderson, Daniels