Connacht storm Borders

Borders 27 Connacht 28

Mark McHugh struck a dramatic drop goal from 45 metres to snatch a deserved victory for Connacht in this pulsating Celtic League match played in front of 3,000 at Selkirk.

But the drama did not end there and eight minutes into stoppage time Borders were awarded a penalty on the left-wing but to the relief of the vociferous Connacht contingent Kevin Utterson pulled his penalty wide.

It would have been rough justice on a Connacht side who held the advantage for long periods but did not chalk up the scores to reflect this.

The Bank of Ireland sponsored Connacht, playing with the benefit of the wind, led 19-6 at the end of the first-half when they had to be content with one try.

It came in first-half stoppage time and was no more than Connacht deserved after several good moves failed to yield tries.

Connacht turned over ball inside their own 22 before bursting down field, the ball passing through several hands as Borders back-tracked and it ended with Eric Elwood and Michael swift feeding Dan McFarland inside the opposing 22 to touchdown.

McFarland had been introduced after prop Peter Bracken and his Borders counterpart Paul Thompson were sin-binned.

Eric Elwood made no mistake with the conversion to add to the four out of four penalties he had earlier clocked up, two of them from close to the half way line.

Connacht hopes took a series of knocks with Johnny O¹Connor and Eric Elwood both forced to retire injured either side of the break and then prop Ronnie McCormack was sin-binned.

Borders reduced the deficit with Utterson's third penalty after 45 minutes before Scottish winger Cammie Murray got in for a try two minutes later.

Utterson was wide with the convert but he edged Borders in front for the first time after 56 minutes when he converted Murray's second try of the night.

Mark McHugh, having moved to fly-half after Elwood's forced retirement, put Connacht ahead going into the final quarter with a penalty from the left-wing and he then made it 25-21 seventeen minutes from time with another successful kick from 40 metres.

Utterson pulled back a penalty three minutes later and then just when it seemed Connacht would deservedly hold on, Welsh referee Nigel Owens awarded Borders a penalty in front of the posts and Utterson duly edged them 27-25 in front.

But Connacht¹s fighting spirit came to the fore in the dying minutes and four minutes into stoppage time McHugh struck his dramatic matchwinning kick as Connacht recorded their first ever victory over Scottish opposition.

Borders: T. Vili; N. Walker, S. Cranston, K. Utterson, C. Murray; G. Townsend, G. Armstrong; P. Thomson, S. Scott, B. Douglas; S. McLeod, R. Metcalfe; A. Rennick, S. Sititi, C. Feather.

Replacements: M. Taylor for Rennick, 58 mins; J. Stuart for Vili, 64 mins.

Connacht: M. McHugh, T. Robinson, D. Yapp, T. Allnutt, W. Munn; E. Elwood, E. Reddan; R. McCormack, M. Uijs, P. Bracken; W. Waugh, R. Frost; M. Swift, E. Peters, J. O'Connor.

Replacements: D. McFarland for McCormack; J. O¹Sullivan for O'Connor, inj. half-time; D. O'Sullivan for Elwood, inj. 52 mins; C. Keane for Reddan, 66 mins; H. Bourke for Uijs, 86 mins.

Referee: N. Owens (WRU).