By Clive Lindsay

Ulster (13) 13
Tries: Ferris, Schifcofske Pens: Humphreys
Edinburgh (7) 16
Try: Visser Con: Paterson Pens: Paterson 2 Dg: Godman

Mark Robertson of Edinburgh is blocked by Ian Whitten and Darren Cave

Magners League leaders Edinburgh escaped with victory over Ulster, the introduction of Mike Blair as a late substitute turning the match.

Early tries from Stephen Ferris and Clinton Schifcofske gave Ulster a deserved lead.

Edinburgh replied with a Tim Visser try and Chris Paterson's conversion, but Ian Humphreys' penalty kept Ulster in control at half-time.

But two Paterson penalties and a Phil Godman drop goal won it for Edinburgh.

The Scots began the game surprisingly nervously considering they started the night on top of the Magners League.

They had rarely been out of their own half, not helped by a couple of misplaced Godman kicks, by the time Ulster took a deserved lead after 16 minutes.

Scotland winger Simon Danielli was the inspiration for the home side, breaking through the defence before the ball was offloaded to Ferris.

And the Lions flanker marked his return to the side in place of Robbie Diack by touching down in the corner.

Edinburgh were again their own worst enemies when they went further behind five minutes later.

The visitors first lost a line-out then put in a couple of weak tackles before Schifcofske was able to collapse over the line.

Humphreys failed in both his conversion attempts to stretch the lead and Edinburgh replied in virtually their first threat to the Ulster line.

Visser, who had started ahead of Andrew Turnbull, powered his way through a couple of tackles to cross the line and Paterson made no mistake with his kick.

Just when the visitors looked like they might settle, they gave away a penalty 10 metres inside their own half and Humphreys this time got his direction right with his kick.

Humphreys missed an easier kick in the dying seconds of the first half, but his side continued in the ascendency after the break.

Paddy Wallace, who replaced Humphreys, kicked wide with a drop-goal attempt as Ulster failed to take advantage of their territorial advantage.

Edinburgh at last began to apply some pressure of their own and, after Wallace was sent to the sin-bin for an infringement, Paterson kicked the resulting penalty to narrow the gap to three points.

The introduction of Lions scrum-half Blair for Greig Laidlaw seemed to turn the game in Edinburgh's favour.

Blair appeared to have been tackled off the ball as he raced through on the Ulster try line, but the referee waved play on.

However, justice was done seconds later when Paterson's excellent kick from out wide squared the match.

A Godman drop goal put Edinburgh ahead with nine minutes remaining and they held out for an unlikely victory.

Ulster: Schifcofske, Danielli, Cave, Whitten, Nagusa, Humphreys, Boss, Young, Kyriacou, Botha, McComb, O'Donoghue, Ferris, Faloon, Henry.
Replacements: Trimble for Whitten (62), Willis for Nagusa (74), Wallace for Humphreys (48), Brady for Kyriacou (66), D. Fitzpatrick for Botha (58), Diack for Ferris (76), Horua for Henry (57).

Edinburgh: Paterson, Robertson, Cairns, Houston, Visser, Godman, Laidlaw, Traynor, Ford, G. Cross, C. Hamilton, MacLeod, Newlands, Grant, Hogg.
Replacements: De Luca for Visser (57), M. Blair for Laidlaw (47), Kelly for Ford (62), Jacobsen for G. Cross (47), S. Turnbull for C. Hamilton (66). Not Used: McKenzie, Jones.

Att: 8,899

Ref: Nigel Owens (WRFU)

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