Paul Heckingbottom admits Barnsley need to improve their discipline ahead of a trip to Neil Warnock's Cardiff City.

The 12th-placed Reds are vastly outperforming the other newly-promoted clubs as well as many Championship stalwarts as they are eight points clear of the relegation zone and seven off the play-offs.

But they are also high up in the discipline table with their three red cards making them the joint second most sent-off side in the division along with tomorrow's hosts Cardiff.

While he will have Marley Watkins back from a three-game ban, Heckingbottom will be without Adam Hammill in Wales after he was sent off in the 2-0 loss at Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday. Josh Scowen is the other player to receive a straight red in the last two months.

"I am concerned about the discipline because we can't afford these red cards," Heckingbottom told the Chronicle.

"We're a small squad and we're trying to maximise everything that we have got. We don't want players missing."

Heckingbottom is also expecting retrospective punishment himself after he was sent to the stands along with Owls coach Lee Bullen. The two former Wednesday team-mates clashed on the sidelines following Hammill's dismissal.

He told the Chronicle: "Me and Bully will end up suffering for mismanagement. You don't mind four or five of their staff standing up all game if the fourth (official) is going to let them do that.

"But when you turn around and they are all in your technical area and you are trying to get them out, it's only going to end one way."

The flare-up with Bullen came after referee Peter Bankes appeared to show home player Sam Hutchinson a red card, following a tackle with Hammill, but then sent the Barnsley player off. Heckingbottom said he thought both players had been dismissed, and a red card even appeared next to Hutchinson's name on the Hillsborough scoreboard.

"I got upstairs and thought: 'hang on a minute, Wednesday have still got 11 men.' "I'm happy the other players kept their discipline at the end when no one knew what was going off."

Heckingbottom was in a more positive mood when talking about the 2,459 away fans who were noisy all game. "The fans were superb throughout and they responded to the players who gave everything. We try to play in a way that the fans can identify with. I'm obviously disappointed with the result but satisfied with the performance and the application of the players, from the first minute to the last.

"I felt we were in control of the game even when we were 1-0 down but we missed three good chances then the second goal killed the game off.  

"Hopefully we get a good following in Cardiff which is going to be another tough game against a good side.  They are all tough and we have to be at our best to compete and get points."

Cardiff are 19th, eight places and five points behind the Reds. Paul Trollope was sacked as manager in early October after picking up eight points from 11 games. Former Barnsley player and vastly experienced manager Warnock has then moved them up from second bottom with 15 points from ten games.

They have not lost at home since October but have only netted ten goals on their own turf in 11 games – the second worst record in the division and no side has lost more in front of their own fans.

Apart from doing the double over the Bluebirds in the 2009/10 season, the Reds have lost ten and drawn four of the last 14 meetings since 2002.

Former England striker Rickie Lambert is City's joint top-scorer with four this season. Kadeem Harris, who spent part of last season on loan at Oakwell, started their 1-1 draw at Ipswich on Saturday but was an unused substitute in the 2-1 midweek home win over Wolves.