Connacht 25 Edinburgh 26
Two tries from Brendan Laney helped Edinburgh to a smash-and-grab Celtic Cup semi-final win over Connacht at the Sportsground today. The Scottish outfit will play Ulster in the final.
The home side were dealt early blows with injuries to prop Ray Hogan and Australian lock Andrew Farley inside the first 10 minutes. They also conceded the first score of the game after 12 minutes to Craig Smith.
The prop collected a well-timed pass from New Zealand flanker Todd Blackadder and had little to do but dive over the line under the challenge of Connacht wing Conor McPhillips.
Laney, Edinburgh's top points scorer in Celtic competition, slotted the conversion over from a tight angle and six minutes later added a second try and conversion as he ghosted onto Alistair Kellock's flipped pass to outpace centre Mark McHugh to the line.
Farley returned to the action and Connacht soon had their first points on the board as Eric Elwood punished a ruck infringement to drive over a penalty after 26 minutes.
The veteran out-half was central to Connacht's revival and his switch move in the 34th minute off the back of a ruck inside the Edinburgh 22 saw Buccaneers centre Darren Yapp ease through slack defence to touch down, with Elwood converting.
Half-time came and went with Michael Bradley's charges staying 14-10 behind until Elwood again proved the ideal provider, sending Yapp in for his second try after five second-half minutes.
Elwood missed with the conversion but he did manage to dink over a penalty from the Edinburgh 10-metre line three minutes later.
That was 18 unanswered Connacht points but in a dizzying 10-minute period, Edinburgh full-back Derrick Lee crossed in the left corner for his fifth Celtic try, and Laney, elusive in broken play throughout, scored a breakaway try from the halfway line, going under the posts to complete his brace, and easing over his conversion for a 26-18 lead.
Yapp made it in for his and Connacht's third try with five minutes remaining, converted by Elwood.
Mark McHugh, scorer of seven kicks against Ulster last weekend, lined up three drop goals and a 50-metre penalty during four stoppage-time minutes, but the one-point deficit was not turned over.
PA