Ulster moves off the bottom
Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:06
Ulster kick-started their Magners League campaign by edging out Edinburgh 13-9 in a keenly-contested clash at Ravenhill on Friday.
Flank David Pollock scored the only try of the game to help the Irish province claim their first win of the season.
The match had a somewhat subdued start, with both teams sizing each other up in the middle of the park and neither making any significant threat to their opponent's defence.
After several blighted forays on both sides, a crunching tackle by Paul Steinmetz on 17 minutes raised the biggest roar of the game from the 8,418-strong Ravenhill crowd.
The player-coach's commitment seemed to lift his teammates as two minutes later they had forced a penalty well into Edinburgh's half. Clinton Schifcofske, playing on the wing in one of several positional changes implemented by coach Matt Williams, narrowly missed the left hand post and the chance to open the scoring.
On 25 minutes the deadlock was broken when good running down the right wing allowed David Pollock to touch down, his try converted by Schifcofske.
It looked as though the 7-0 score would be improved upon a matter of seconds later, as Ulster picked up a loose ball deep in the Edinburgh half, but were halted centimetres short of the line by determined tackling.
Ulster kept play well in the Scotsmen's half though and were only denied a further score on 32 minutes when an overplayed final pass just eluded Andrew Trimble on the left wing.
Ulster were now in control of the game and looking to administer the killer blow while their opponents were still reeling. They proved unable to do so, however, on 38 minutes when Schifcofske's long-distance penalty grounded just short of the posts.
The first half then came to an end with Ulster fans optimistic that their team would be able to consolidate their lead after the break.
However, Edinburgh started the second half more strongly and were awarded a penalty on 43 minutes for offside, David Blair reducing the gap to 7-3. A further penalty came two minutes later when Ulster players were sanctioned for not rolling away, and from the same spot where Schifcofske had missed in the first half, Blair struck again to bring the visitors within one point.
A clearance from Isaac Boss, who had replaced Cillian Willis at scrumhalf minutes after the restart, broke up the Scottish club's territorial supremacy, and good exchanges between Ulster's backs and forwards eventually forced a penalty of their own on 53 minutes, Schifcofske making it 10-6.
Further indiscipline from Edinburgh gave Ulster a gilt-edged chance to increase the lead on 60 minutes, but Schifcofske pulled his penalty wide.
A great charge-down by Niall O'Connor from an attempted Edinburgh clearance then got Ulster back in the driving seat and Schifcofske was soon kicking over his second successful penalty of the evening. After 62 minutes the score now stood at 13-6.
Diving in by Edinburgh forwards on 65 minutes then gave O'Connor a kicking opportunity just within the opposition half, but exactly as it had done for Schifcofske, the distance proved too great.
A further penalty against Ulster then allowed Phil Godman to bring Edinburgh's tally up to nine points with 10 minutes to go.
The Scots were not to threaten again until the last minute of normal time, when they made good progress from line-out ball, only to be thwarted by gritty Ulster tackling which sent the ball running loose.
As a grateful Ulster boot sent the ball into touch, referee Carlo Damasco blew for full-time, prompting jubilant scenes among players and supporters alike as the first win of the season was registered.
Ulster will now be looking to build upon this performance against the classy Stade Francais next Saturday, October 11, in the first Heineken Cup clash of 2008-2009.
The scorers:
For Ulster:
Try: Pollock
Con: Schifcofske
Pens: Schifcofske 2
For Edinburgh:
Pens: Blair 2, Godman
The teams:
Ulster: 15 Bryn Cunningham, 14 Clinton Schifcofske, 13 Darren Cave, 12 Paul Steinmetz, 11 Andrew Trimble, 10 Niall O'Connor, 9 Cillian Willis, 8 Robbie Diack, 7 David Pollock, 6 Stephen Ferris, 5 Ryan Caldwell, 4 Ed O'Donoghue, 3 BJ Botha, 2 Rory Best (c), 1 Tom Court.
Replacements: 16 Nigel Brady, 17 Justin Fitzpatrick, 18 Carlo Del Fava, 19 Kieron Dawson/Matt McCullough, 20 Isaac Boss, 21 Ian Humphreys, 22 Timoci Nagusa.
Edinburgh: 15 Jim Thompson, 14 John Houston, 13 Hugo Southwell, 12 Nick De Luca, 11 Mark Robertson, 10 David Blair, 9 Mike Blair (c), 8 Scott Newlands, 7 Allister Hogg, 6 Matt Mustchin, 5 Ben Gissing, 4 Jim Hamilton, 3 Gavin Kerr, 2 Andrew
Kelly, 1 Allan Jacobsen.
Replacements: 16 Ross Ford, 17 Geoff Cross, 18 Craig Hamilton, 19 Chris Fusaro, 20 Greig Laidlaw, 21 Phil Godman, 22 Calum MacRae.
Referee: Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Touch judges: John Carvill (Ireland), Trevor Collins (Ireland)
TMO: Leo Colgan (Ireland)
