Full-time: Cardiff Blues 24 Bath 18.

Bath’s involvement in this season’s EDF Energy Cup is over following a spirited but error-strewn display in the Welsh capital last night, writes Steve Cotton.

Steve Meehan’s side, who needed a victory at the Arms Park to stand any chance of reaching the last four, were chasing the game from the fifth minute on and ultimately fell just short against the in-form Blues.

A penalty try, awarded for a shocking high tackle on Joe Maddock, and an Andrew Higgins try kept Bath in the contest until the bitter end – but their indiscipline at the ruck cost them as Ben Blair landed four penalties from five.

Tongans Maama Molitika and Taufa’ao Filise, the former Bath prop, crossed for the Blues – who were wearing pink – as they marched into the semi-finals.

Jack Cuthbert kicked Bath into a 3-0 lead when Cardiff were penalised at the first scrum of the evening, but the visitors’ lead did not last long.

Cardiff’s slick passing and movement opened up the visiting defence, leading to a converted try.

Shaun Berne’s kick was returned with interest by Tom James, before brothers Nicky and Jamie Robinson combined – the latter slipping between two defenders – to send flanker Molitika clear.

Blair’s conversion saw Cardiff into a 7-3 lead – and the former New Zealand full-back added a penalty to make it 10-3 when Bath were penalised as a scrum went down.

Bath prop Duncan Bell then charged over the top of a ruck in a desperate but illegal attempt to play the ball – and Blair made it 13-3.

Bath began to get a grip on the contest – in terms of possession, at least – during the latter stages of the opening period.

Shontayne Hape, again showing flashes of promise in the midfield, put Higgins clear – but the winger was hauled down 15 metres short and then penalised for holding on to the ball.

Then a Scott Bemand break from a scrum carried the visitors deep into Cardiff territory, only for No 8 Daniel Browne to knock on with options outside him.

As the half petered out, Cuthbert failed with a penalty when he may have been expected to go for touch and Bath continually took the wrong option despite playing themselves into promising positions.

This was typified with the final play of the half, when they failed to find a way through despite taking the option of a five-metre scrum.

Bath withdrew lock Danny Grewcock, back in the side after a two-month lay-off with a bicep injury, at the interval, while flanker Andy Beattie, back after seven months out following knee surgery, followed on 49 minutes.

Cuthbert’s involvement in the game ended five minutes after the interval, when he suffered a head injury while tackling Richard Mustoe and was treated on the field for several minutes before walking off.

Bath cranked up the tempo as they went in search of EDF survival – and Cardiff’s Tom Shanklin was yellow-carded for handling at a ruck in his own 22.

With Cuthbert off the field, Maddock stepped up to kick the straightforward penalty – and Bath were back to within seven points with a one-man advantage.

But seconds later their clumsiness at the ruck threw them straight back on to the back foot, Blair nailing a penalty to give the Blues a 16-6 lead.

Bath roared back and were awarded a penalty try when Maddock was taken out two metres short of the line by a head-high tackle from compatriot Jason Spice after a jinking run from the winger. How the scrum-half did not see yellow is a mystery.

But Maddock, who is anything but a recognised goal-kicker, saw his conversion from in front of the sticks charged down and deflected on to a post.

Jamie Robinson was then wrongly penalised for knocking on as he strode purposefully into the Bath 22 – replays showed Hape had actually knocked it down.

But justice was done moments later as, from the scrum, Berne was charged down and forced to concede a five-metre scrum. Cardiff worked it wide and tighthead prop Filise eventually grounded the ball in the corner to give his side a 21-11 lead.

Bath persevered, though, and set up a tense finale when Jonny Fa’amatuainu stepped past a couple of defenders and made a piercing break before freeing Higgins to run the ball in from 25 metres. Berne converted to bring back to within three points.

But when Stuart Hooper killed the ball in the dying seconds and was yellow-carded, Blair sealed victory for the hosts.

Cardiff Blues: B Blair; R Mustoe, J Robinson, T Shanklin, T James; N Robinson, J Spice (R Rees 79); J Yapp (G Powell 37), G Williams, T Filise, D Jones, P Tito (capt; S Morgan 69), M Molitika, R Sowden-Taylor, M Lewis (M Williams 69). Reps not used: R Johnson, C Sweeney, G Thomas.

Scorers: Tries – Molitika, Filise. Con – Blair. Pens – Blair (4).

Sin-binned: Shanklin (55-67, handling at ruck).

Bath: J Cuthbert (T Cheeseman 45); J Maddock, A Crockett (capt), S Hape, A Higgins; S Berne, S Bemand; D Flatman (N Catt 63), P Dixon (R Hawkins 80), D Bell (A Jarvis 56), P Short, D Grewcock (S Hooper 41), A Beattie (J Fa’amatuainu 49), J Scaysbrook, D Browne. Rep not used: M Baxter.

Scorers: Tries – penalty, Higgins. Con – Berne. Pens – Cuthbert, Maddock.

Sin-binned: Hooper (80, killing the ball).

Ref: N Owens (Wales). Att: 10,139.