Aironi (6) 9
Pens: Mercier 2, Bocchino
Edinburgh (3) 10
Try: Jacobsen Pens: Blair Con: Blair

Edinburgh struggled for long periods at the Stadio Luigi Zaffanella

Allan Jacobsen's converted try saw Edinburgh secure a nervy Magners League win away to Italian outfit Aironi.

The Scots trailed 6-3 at the break as fly-half Ludovic Mercier kicked two penalties for the hosts, David Blair responding for Edinburgh.

Riccardo Bocchino's penalty looked to have Aironi on-course for an upset at the Stadio Luigi Zaffanella in Viadana.

But prop Jacobsen surged over the line with four minutes remaining and Blair converted to secure victory.

Blair slotted the first points of the evening, kicking a fourth-minute penalty.

But former Gloucester stand-off Mercier quickly levelled the scores after Rob Moffat's side were penalised for collapsing a scrum in front of their posts.

Aironi were causing Edinburgh problems at the breakdown and a string of handling errors frustrated their attacking efforts with flanker Alan MacDonald and wing Mark Robertson failing to capitalise on promising breaks.

Mercier was then off target with a drop goal and a penalty, but made amends as he kicked his second penalty on the stroke of the interval to give Aironi the lead.

Jacobsen came off the bench and won a penalty at the scrum for his side, but Blair's long-range effort came up short.

Bocchino, on for Mercier, was also off target with a penalty but the home side's hopes were boosted as MacDonald was sent to the sin-bin as the penalty count mounted against Edinburgh.

Aironi had a series of drives close to the visiting line but 14-man Edinburgh did well to hold them out, although Bocchino's penalty with 10 minutes to go saw Aironi increase their lead.

But the Scots responded with a powerful maul, forcing Aironi lock Carlo Antonio del Fava to concede a penalty.

The visitors opted to go for a driving line-out and it paid dividends, as Jacobsen crashed over and Blair added the extras to secure Edinburgh's second straight win.

Aironi: Julien Laharrague, Giulio Toniolatti, Rodd Penney, Gilberto Pavan, Danwel Demas; Ludovic Mercier, Tito Tebaldi; Alberto De Marchi, Fabio Ongaro, Salvatore Perugini; Carlo Antonio Del Fava, Quintin Geldenhuys (capt); Andrea Benatti, Josh Sole, Nick Williams. Replacements: Roberto Santamaria, Andrea De Marchi, Luca Redolfini, Marco Bortolami, Jaco Erasmus, Pablo Canavosio, Gabriel Pizarro, Riccardo Bocchino.

Edinburgh: Jim Thompson, Mark Robertson, Ben Cairns, Alex Grove, Tim Visser, David Blair, Greig Laidlaw, Kyle Traynor, Ross Ford, Geoff Cross, Esteban Lozada, Scott MacLeod, Fraser McKenzie, Roddy Grant (capt), Alan MacDonald. Replacements: Andrew Kelly, Allan Jacobsen, David Young, Craig Hamilton, David Denton, Mike Blair, James King, Tom Brown.

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