13-man Ulster hold on for gutsy win over Edinburgh

Edinburgh 17 Ulster 20

Ulster showed depth of character and not a little skill in holding off Edinburgh at BT Murrayfield despite being reduced to thirteen men for the final ten minutes of a match the Belfast side should have won more comfortably.

The visitors lost Stuart McCloskey after 58 minutes after the centre was red carded for what was deemed to be dangerous play at at ruck when he tipped Edinburgh's Hamish Watson on to the flanker's neck and then at 71 minutes second row Franco van der Merwe was dispatched to the sin-bin for a line-out offence.

But there was little question that Ulster deserved their win. Springbok Ruan Pienaar put in a telling display, kicking all his goals in contrast to Edinburgh's Tom Heathcote who landed only four from ten admittedly most of his attempts from long range.

Edinburgh also undid much of their good work with poor throwing at the line-out, their inaccuracy costing them dear when with a two man advantage they would surely have driven the depleted Ulster pack over the line.

Yet despite dominating possession in the opening phases of the match Ulster found themselves behind after eight minutes to a try for Edinburgh by outside centre Phil Burleigh, following a break by hooker Neil Cochrane and good passing from Mike Coman and Roddy Grant.

Ulster, however, quickly responded with power play from their forwards, short drives to the line and then a deadly finish from two metres out by scrum half Ruan Pienaar, who then added the simple conversion.

A penalty by Edinburgh’s outside half Tom Heathcote regained the lead for the home side with a penalty goal but the Scotland cap missed his next shot off the tee before succeeding with two place kicks on either side of a penalty goal by Pienaar to give Edinburgh a 14-10 half time advantage.

Ulster looked much more purposeful in the second half and gained an early reward with a second penalty goal by Pienaar. and then took the lead with a fine try by centre Darren Cave after the burly Nick Williams had broken through two tackles, Pienaar's conversion goal opening up a six points lead.

But just when Ulster seemed to be establishing a dominant position indiscipline reduced the visitors to fourteen men with the dismissal of centre Stuart McColskey, shown the red card by referee Leighton Hodges for lifting the Edinburgh flanker Hamish Watson on to his head at a ruck.

Edinburgh mad their numbers tell with a penalty goal by Heathcote to bring the scoreline to 17-20 but their the home side’s incompetence in the final ten minutes when Ulster were reduced to thirteen men after lock Franco van der Merwe was yellow carded allowed the visitors to hold out for a deserved win that for now puts them in second position in the Guinness Pro 12 league.

EDINBURGH: J Cuthbert; D Fife, S Beard, P Burleigh, T Visser; T Heathcote, G Hart; R Sutherland, N Cochrane, WP Nel; A Bresler, B Toolis; R Grant, H Watson, M Coman.

Replacements: O Atkins for Toolis, H Blake for Coman (both 40 mins); P Hilterbrand for Cochrane (52 mins), J Andress for Nel (59 mins), A Strauss for Burleigh (67 mins), G Shiells for Sutherland (71 mins).

ULSTER: L Ludik; C Gilroy, D Cave, S McCloskey, M Allen; I Humphreys, R Pienaar; C Black, R Herring, W Herbst (B Ross 68), I Henderson, F van der Merwe, R Wilson, M McComish, N Williams.

Replacements: P Nelson for Allen (66 mins); L Stevenson for Henderson (54 mins); L Marshall for Williams (64 mins; P Marshall for Humphreys (67 mins), B Ross for Herbst (68 mins).

Referee: Leighton Hodges (WRU)