Crucial win for Ulster
Ulster moved up to second in the Magners League with victory over Connacht but failed to secure a bonus point.
Last Updated: 22/04/11 9:56pm
Ulster moved up to second in the Magners League with victory over Connacht but their failure to secure a bonus point means their play-off destiny is now out of their hands.
Ulster failed to claim maximum points largely due to a combination of their own errors and Connacht's opportunism.
Ultimately the hosts could only manage tries from Rory Best, Adam D'Arcy and Darren Cave - with Ian Humphreys kicking 12 points.
Ulster got off to almost the perfect start when after just six minutes, D'Arcy came steaming through an inside channel off a neat Humphreys pass.
The Ulster full-back linked with Darren Cave and the recalled centre drew the remaining defender to put Rory Best over under the sticks.
The visitors hit back with an opportunist Ian Keatley drop goal and although Ulster responded by going back on the offensive, errors almost immediately began to creep in.
Best was penalised for a crooked throw when Ulster had a promising position inside Connacht's 22, then only a last-ditch tackle from D'Arcy prevented Fionn Carr breaking clear, after a Humphreys chip had been charged down in the visitors' danger zone.
But almost from nowhere Ulster came good with a dramatic score two minutes after the half hour mark, when a Ruan Pienaar quick tap inside his own 22 sparked a sweeping move virtually the length of the field.
Humphreys got on the end of Pienaar's enterprising break and he sailed past Sean Cronin to put D'Arcy clear - and the full-back ran in from 30 metres.
Humphreys converted and Ulster led 14-3 but in injury-time Nevin Spence was penalised at a ruck and Keatley knocked over the penalty from just inside Ulster's half.
On target
Keatley was again on target when Chris Henry was adjudged to have held on to the tackler, narrowing the lead to five points after 47 minutes.
Humphreys then put Ulster eight points clear again with a 48th-minute penalty but it was the visitors who suddenly found some inspiration.
Connacht stole a lineout and Keatley took out two tacklers to offload to Sean Cronin and the Ireland hooker showed great pace to run in from just outside the 22, with Keatley's conversion bringing Connacht to within a point.
Thoughts of a bonus point were on the back-burner now and Ulster piled on the pressure.
Their reward was Humphreys' second penalty with 15 minutes left on the clock, when Ronan Loughney was penalised at a scrum.
And with six minutes remaining they moved first phase ball from a scrum out to the left and Humphreys provided Cave with the scoring pass, securing a hard-fought win that may yet prove decisive.
Ulster are now second in the table ahead of Saturday's games involving fellow top four chasers Leinster and the Ospreys, with Ulster having one more game to play at the Dragons.
The result puts Ulster two points ahead of Leinster and three points in front of Cardiff Blues, who have a game in hand.
