Ospreys (14) 27 Tries: Bowe 2. Cons: Biggar. Pens: Biggar 3. DG: Biggar 2. Scarlets (13) 19 Tries: J Davies. Cons: S Jones. Pens: S Jones 4.
Ospreys wing Tommy Bowe races away for his clinching try
Tommy Bowe's brilliant interception try decided a tense west Wales derby in favour of the Ospreys on Friday.
The result keeps alive their Magners League play-off hopes but leaves the Scarlets' Heineken Cup qualification hopes hanging by a thread.
The Ospreys struggled to turn dominance into points in rainy conditions.
Jonathan Davies scored a fine turnover try for the Scarlets, but Bowe also went over in the first half before his opportunist second sealed the result.
The late breakaway try was doubly damaging to the Scarlets, ripping away a precious losing bonus point that leaves them still lowest placed of the four Welsh regions.
Cardiff Blues are the closest Welsh side in their sights but the Scarlets are four points behind, having now played a game more.
From kick-off at the Liberty Stadium the Ospreys earned an early penalty chance, but Dan Biggar was unfortunate that the ball toppled off the kicking tee as he made his run-up.
The fly-half's only option was to try a snap drop-goal only for his hurried effort to drift wide.
Despite difficult handling conditions caused by earlier rain, both sides showed intent to run the ball and an inside pass set Nikki Walker racing through the Scarlets midfield.
Andrew Bishop took the move on down the left wing but could not find James Hook in support as the defensive cover came across.
From second phase the ball was spun out to Biggar standing in the pocket and, with a penalty advantage being played by referee Christophe Berdos, the young stand-off this time scored with a drop-goal.
Stephen Jones replied almost immediately for the Scarlets as the visitors made their first foray into Ospreys territory, but Biggar replied to restore the home side's three-point advantage.
The Ospreys were enjoying the better possession but sloppiness gifted the Scarlets the game's opening try.
David Lyons was quickest as the ball squirted out the back of an Ospreys ruck, his fellow back-row Rob McCusker arriving at the gallop to send centre Davies crashing over for a try converted by Stephen Jones.
With a quarter of the match gone the rain returned with a vengeance and the Scarlets' 10-6 lead, as narrow as it was, started to look even more handy.
Back came the Ospreys with a series of drives through the forwards that took them into the 22, sucked in Scarlets tacklers and created space on the right for Bowe to go over in the corner.
Biggar just missed the tricky touchline conversion and Jones soon put the Scarlets back into the lead with his second penalty, as the Ospreys infringed from the restart.
The Ospreys continued to boss territory but at every ruck found themselves shoved backwards by some fine Scarlets defence, taking their lead from the way the Dragons had ripped into the Liberty Stadium superstars last week.
Ospreys scrum-half Mike Phillips is stopped by fierce Scarlets defence
It seemed as though the visitors would go into half-time just ahead but a late collapsed scrum - Deacon Manu adjudged to have dropped it - allowed Biggar to kick Ospreys into a 14-13 lead at the break.
The Ospreys continued to dominate after the break but still could not translate their advantage into points, with Biggar just wide with a penalty six minutes after the restart.
Following the pattern set in the first period, the Scarlets continued to grab points on every rare visit into the Ospreys' half with Stephen Jones nosing them 16-14 ahead with another penalty.
That saw the home side send for reinforcements, with Wales and Lions pair Alun Wyn Jones and Shane Williams coming of the bench, replacing Ian Gough and Walker.
The Ospreys almost immediately earned a penalty chance but Biggar again fluffed his lines from one of his easier kicks of the night.
With 12 minutes remaining the Ospreys at last managed to keep composure in possession and marched upfield, giving Biggar a drop-goal chance from in front of the posts that the fly-half accepted gratefully.
But blunders by first Alun Wyn Jones - nowhere behind the back foot before he came through a ruck - and Mike Phillips - kicking out on the full - gifted great field position to the Scarlets.
Martin Roberts, on at scrum-half for Tavis Knoyle, dummied a pass to draw an offside penalty and Stephen Jones restored the Scarlets' two-point lead.
Scrum V analyses Ospreys 27-19 Scarlets
With four minutes remaining the pendulum swung back towards the Ospreys once more, as Biggar just curved in a penalty to make it 20-19.
Back roared the Scarlets and it seemed the visitors would find one last score as Stephen Jones released a long pass left.
But Bowe had read the move and snaked out a long arm, juggling the ball for just a moment before securing it under one arm and racing out of his 22 to go under the posts.
For the Ospreys, the win extends their two-and-a-half-year unbeaten run at the Liberty Stadium against Welsh opposition.
That leaves them handily placed to finish in the top four, claim a spot in the end of season play-offs and keep their title hopes alive.
But the next three games for Sean Holley's side are tough indeed - all away in Ireland to Ulster, Leinster and then Munster.
The Scarlets' attention now turns to their 17 April clash at home against the Blues, a game which could decide the season of either team.
Both Welsh rivals are still in the European Challenge Cup quarter-finals, with the winner of the second-tier competition also earning a Heineken Cup place for next season.
But far safer for the Blues or Scarlets to claim a place at Europe's top table by climbing over a Welsh rival in the Magners League placings.
Ospreys head coach Sean Holley: "I'm pretty relieved. I think it was a great derby for different reasons.
"The conditions meant it was quite tactical with a lot of kicking but full credit to the Scarlets, I thought they were excellent and pushed us all the way.
"With this bunch you're always confident you can get back in the game."
Scarlets head coach Nigel Davies:
"We are doing this too often, it's got to stop.
"We had enough of that game but what we didn't do was control the territory, our kicking game was poor and put us under a lot of pressure.
"We had a chance at the end, lost our composure in their 22 and went for the big pass that wasn't on and it was cruel in the end."
Ospreys: Lee Byrne; Tommy Bowe, Andrew Bishop, James Hook, Nikki Walker; Dan Biggar, Mike Phillips; Paul James, Richard Hibbard, Adam Jones, Ian Gough, Jonathan Thomas, Jerry Collins, Marty Holah, Ryan Jones (capt). Replacements: Huw Bennett for Hibbard (23), Craig Mitchell, Alun Wyn Jones for Gough (59), Filo Tiatia for Collins (80), Jamie Nutbrown for M. Phillips (80), Sonny Parker, Shane Williams for Walker (59).
Scarlets: Rhys Priestland; Sean Lamont, Regan King, Jonathan Davies, Andy Fenby; Stephen Jones, Tavis Knoyle; Iestyn Thomas, Matthew Rees, Deacon Manu, Lou Reed, Dominic Day, Rob McCusker, Richie Pugh, David Lyons (capt). Replacements: Ken Owens for Rees (73), Rhys Thomas for Manu (55), Damian Welch for Day (49), Josh Turnbull for McCusker (62), Martin Roberts for Knoyle (62), Daniel Evans, Lee Williams.
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