Sport

Ulster denied by late penalty

Ulster... 18 Edinburgh Rugby..

Sat Sept 07 2002 - 01:00

Ulster ... 18 Edinburgh Rugby ... 19: A rash of injuries forced Ulster coach Alan Solomons into the embarrassing situation of calling Paddy Johns out of retirement to sit on the bench against Edinburgh last night.

He was not required but Solomons must have been tempted to throw him into action to give his side the steel up front it badly missed in this narrow defeat, Ulster's first in seven home matches.

Ulster were in front until Edinburgh full-back Brendan Laney, who landed a personal haul of 16 points, kicked his third penalty in stoppage time to record his side's second successive victory.

But Ulster's lead, founded on six penalties from outhalf Paddy Wallace, was never secure given their lack of possession and insipidness up front. It was from a steal at an Edinburgh line-out, deep in their own 22, that led to Ulster's opening score, Wallace landing a penalty.

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The departure of Neil McMillan to a rib injury seemed to unsettle the home side, and Edinburgh enjoyed a sustained period of pressure. Yet by half-time Ulster had kept their noses in front, with Wallace kicking three more penalties and Laney responding with a penalty and converted try.

Within a minute of the restart Wallace landed his fifth penalty. Duncan Hodge then knocked over a drop goal. With the game lacking shape Wallace and Laney swapped penalties before Laney sealed victory.

SCORING SEQUENCE: 5mins: P Wallace pen 3-0; 18: P Wallace pen 6-0; 28: P Wallace pen 9-0; 39: B Laney try, B Laney con 9-7; 40: Wallace pen 12-7; 41: Laney pen 12-10; 42: Wallace pen 15-10; 50: D Hodge drop-goal 15-12; 66: Wallace pen 18-12; 66: Laney pen 18-16; 79: Laney pen 18-19.

ULSTER: B Cunningham; S Coulter, R Constable, J Bell, T Howe; P Wallace, N Doak; R Kempson, M Sexton, S Best (J Fitzpatrick 51), M Blair, T McWhirter, W Brosnihan, N McMillan.

EDINBURGH: B Laney; D Lee, M Di Rollo (C Joiner 20), A Dickson (T Philip 74), C Paterson; D Hodge, M Blair, A Jacobsen, C Di Ciacca (D Hall 63), C Smith (G Brannigan 63), N Hines (G Perret 66), S Murray, T Blackadder, M Leslie (S Cross 74), S Taylor.

Referee: H Watkins (WRU) .