Ulster campaign back on track

Ulster - 17 Neath - 13:CELTIC LEAGUE: Ulster got their Celtic League campaign back on track and inflicted a first defeat of the competition on Neath in a tense tussle at Raven Hill last night.

Ulster went in to the match missing no fewer than 10 first choice players due to a combination of injuries, illnesses and unavailability due to Ireland's World Cup qualifying match in Russia.

Not surprisingly it showed in the first quarter against a Neath team who had come to Raven Hill with three wins out of three under their belt.

But a bumper Belfast crowd of 10,000 gave Ulster great support and helped them turn a 10-0 deficit into what, in the circumstances, was a famous victory.

Alan Solomon's side seemed on course for a hat-trick of defeats when they fell behind to a Lee Jarvis penalty and his conversion of a try by Welsh wing wizard Shane Williams in the opening half hour.

Missed kicks to touch by Ulster and probing kicks from Jarvis had kept the hosts pinned in their own territory for most of the game up until then, but they finally got a break on 33 minutes.

Neath prop Duncan Jones was sin-binned for offending at the scrum and Ireland A scrumhalf Neil Doak put over the penalty.

The whole team made the most of the numerical advantage, following up with a brilliant Bryan Cunningham try before the interval.

Full back Cunningham stamped delightfully through the defence after a long pass by Adam Larkin had brought Ireland's James Topping through off his wing, and Doak converted.

Doak missed a penalty after Jones was lucky to avoid a red card, but winger Tyrone Howe burst through for a superb Ulster score just before the hour mark.

The conversion from Doak made it 17-10, before Jarvis landed a penalty to reduce the arrears to four points.

ULSTER: B. Cunningham; Howe, J Bell, Constable, J. Topping; Stewart, Doak; Larkin, Fitzpatrick, Shields, Blair, Davidson, Brosnihin, MacMillan., McWhirter. Not Used: John., N. Best, J. Campbell, Young.

NEATH: Durston; K. James, A. Bateman, Tiueti, S. Williams; Jarvis, Horgan; G. Jones, B. Williams, Millward, A. Newman, J. Llewellyn, Jenkins, Tandy, Bonner-Evans. Not Used: Connor., S. Jones, A. Jones, Storey, L. Bateman, Mocelutu, A. Moore.

Referee: Andrew Ireland (Scotland).