Connacht remain rooted near the end of the RaboDirect PRO12 table following a 22-15 defeat to Cardiff, who upped the tempo after the break to see off Eric Elwood's men in the Welsh capital.
Full-back Ben Blair was exceptional with the boot all night, kicking 17 of Cardiff's final tally through five penalties and a second-half conversion.
The visitors got off to a flyer and led after just three minutes, fly-half Niall O'Connor, who would kick all of the Irish province's points, landing a penalty.
Cardiff hit back though, and two Blair kicks had them 6-3 ahead with 10 minutes on the clock but it was Connacht who would score the first try of the night - winger Tiernan O' Halloran diving over midway through the first-half.
However, two further Blair penalties meant the hosts led 12-10 at the break, with all to play for in the second-half.
When Blair added his fifth penalty of the game not long after the interval, things were beginning to slip away from Connacht and when Sam Hobbs bundled over the whitewash Cardiff looked home and hosed.
Substitute Dave Moore did go over for a Connacht try late on but it meant little, especially when full-back Gavin Duffy was unable to add the extras.