Celtic League: Jones spoils Ulster party

Ulster 26, Llanelli 27 (full-time)

Llanelli fly-half Stephen Jones held his nerve to convert an injury-time try by Wayne Proctor and seal victory for the Scarlets in a pulsating match at Ravenhill Park.

The visitors deserved their success after outscoring Ulster by three tries to one.

The men from Northern Ireland dominated the opening stages of the match but only had a David Humphreys penalty to show for their efforts.

Hooker Marcus Thomas got the first try of the game for the Welshmen when he caught the Ulster defence napping. Jones added the conversion and a penalty to extend the Llanelli advantage.

Humphreys reduced the deficit with a penalty before he and Jones exchanged penalties to leave Llanelli leading 13-9 as first-half stoppage time began.

Ulster flanker David Allen, who had come on for Tony McWhirter, finished off a flowing move to touch down for an unconverted try which gave the home side a 14-13 interval lead.

Humphreys added a penalty after the re-start but in a game which ebbed and flowed entertainingly, the Scarlets regained the upper hand thanks to a try by left wing Garan Evans which Jones converted.

But poor Llanelli discipline led to Humphreys landing two penalties within a minute to put Ulster 23-20 in front.

The fly-half’s seventh penalty of the game three minutes from full-time looked to have won the match.

But Ulster lost possession from a line-out inside the visitors’ half and conceded a penalty in the process.

Jones knocked the ball into touch and from the resulting line-out Proctor seized possession and stunned the home crowd by barging his way over the line.

Jones brilliantly converted to sent the Llanelli supporters home in ecstatic mood.

It was a thoroughly entertaining game but two players were sin-binned - Llanelli’s number eight David Hodges for a high tackle on winger Sheldon Coulter and Ulster’s back-rower McWhirter for killing the ball on the ground.