Connacht keep on trying to the end

Llanelli Scarlets 19 Connacht 10:It was never likely Connacht's away form would improve at Stradey Park, but at least they went down fighting against the Heineken European Cup semi-finalists.

A Mark McHugh penalty gave them a surprise half-time lead from a sloppy opening 40 minutes following a downpour in west Wales, but Connacht were always living off scraps.

A late try by John Muldoon at least ensured they ended their season on a positive note, albeit muted by their 14th defeat of the season. They can at least take the small consolation of avoiding the Magners Celtic League basement.

But having rarely troubled a second-string Scarlets and with Border Reivers playing their last professional fixture today, the Westerners will find it harder to match that next season.

With 10th position a certainty, coach Michael Bradley rang the changes here and the lack of cohesion showed as Connacht struggled for possession. Yet in the face of a Scarlets tide, their defence held and they led 3-0 at half-time, thanks to a 35-metre penalty from the boot of Mark McHugh on their second visit into opposition territory.

The first saw Daniel Riordan waste a promising break with a forward pass. The fullback was by far Connacht's liveliest threat, though too often he was cutting strips into the Scarlets with no support in sight.

Llanelli had fourth place in the league already wrapped up but with a proud record of just a single defeat at home all season and a farewell planned for veteran Wales prop John Davies pencilled in, coach Phil Davies gave his players the old-fashioned hair-dryer treatment at half-time and the response was immediate.

The young outhalf Ceiron Thomas squeezed over twice in the space of six minutes to put Connacht on their heels.

A lineout blunder handed Llanelli another opportunity to attack and when their passes finally stuck, Thomas stepped through inside two minutes of the restart. He converted and added a second moments later from a quickly taken penalty that had Connacht remonstrating with referee Andy MacPherson.

Gavin Evans ended a brief stalemate seven minutes from time before Muldoon crashed over from close range.

SCARLETS:B Davies; G Evans, R King, G Evans, M Watkins; C Thomas, L Davies; P John, K Owens, J Davies; A Jones, S MacLeod; D Jones, N Thomas, J Bater (capt). Replacements: IAfeaki for A Jones (half-time), J Mills for D Jones (54 mins), D George for Owens (58 mins), D Evans for B Davies (61 mins), C Dunlea for John (63 mins), C Stuart-Smith for L Davies (71 mins).

CONNACHT:D Riordan; J Hearty, G Duffy, M McHugh, C McPhillips; P Durcan, C Keane; B Wilkinson, J Fogarty (capt), R Hogan; M Swift, A Farley; D Gannon, C Rigney, J Muldoon. Replacements:R Loughney for Hogan (46 mins), T Robinson for Duffy (49 mins), D McGowan for Farley (54 mins), A Wynne for Durcan (61 mins), D Yapp for Hearty (63 mins), A Flavin for Fogarty (66 mins), A Browne for Swift (72 mins).

Referee: A MacPherson(Scotland).