It was an edgy game of nip and tuck but, most importantly for Ulster, they were the ones who finished ahead on the scoreboard to end a two-game losing run and bring them some vital points.
They scored five tries through John Andrew, Jude Postlethwaite, John Cooney, David McCann and Nick Timoney to take five points from this first inter-provincial of the season, while Connacht took two points from a try bonus and five-point margin of defeat after coming back from trailing 19-5.
Connacht lock Josh Murphy’s red card – which followed a yellow – also assisted Ulster’s cause on a night when Andrew Warwick and Alan O’Connor were making their 200th appearances for Ulster and one when Richie Murphy’s son Ben scored a cracking try for the visitors.
Less than a minute in, Ulster won a penalty after losing the first lineout and ambitiously opted for the corner which, from the driving maul – with backs adding their input – Andrew was awarded the score.
The ideal opening was built on by Cooney’s successful conversion and the home team had the perfect start as they attempted to take the awful look off starting the game bottom of the heap in the United Rugby Championship.
Nine minutes later and Connacht struck back, Piers O’Conor coming close and then a lobbed cut-out pass from Josh Ioane put Shayne Bolton over in the corner smashing through Aidan Morgan’s attempted tackle.
Ioane missed the conversion from the touchline.
Another series of penalties in Connacht territory saw Ulster again opt for the corner on two further occasions, the latter when Postlethwaite – who had returned early from the Emerging Ireland tour to play this game – with some help from Werner Kok got through after the hosts launched some pick and goes from close in, the TMO awarding the 20th minute score.
Cooney was just wide to the right with the tight angled conversion.
There was no error from the Ulster scrum half in the 27th minute, though, following his own try, the score coming off a lineout and drive from Kieran Treadwell, the space opening up rather easily for the home team with Cooney grasping the opportunity with some aplomb.
Then on the half hour, and following another penalty against Ulster, Connacht hit the corner, won the lineout and rather easily mauled over the line for Joe Joyce to claim the touchdown.
However, Ioane was well wide from the tee and then from the restart, Kok was yellow carded for taking out Josh Murphy in the air and not only were Ulster down to 14 but they had also by this stage lost Iain Henderson – the skipper departing in the opening minutes – and Postlethwaite to injuries.
Right on half-time, Ulster coughed up another penalty and were marched back further yardage for chatting back to referee Andrew Brace. The ball came off the top from Cian Prendergast, and Murphy dummied right, stepped left and was through the lineout and gone.
This time Ioane landed the difficult conversion, and the sides left the field with Ulster now leading by just 19-17.
Four minutes into the new half and with Kok just returned, Sean O’Brien was awarded a score only for it to be chalked off via the TMO’s involvement.
Then on 50 minutes, and with Murphy yellow carded, Ulster made the man advantage count from a driving maul, McCann spotting a gap and dotting down for the bonus point try though Cooney, once again, couldn’t convert.
Ten minutes later, Connacht had their try bonus when Dylan Tierney-Martin burrowed over from another driving maul and the scores were then levelled through Ioane’s excellent conversion.
With matters becoming very edgy, Nathan Doak pulled off a great defensive save behind his own line as Connacht turned the screw.
But with just ten minutes remaining a high smash to the head by Murphy on James McCormick resulted in a red card for the Connacht lock, forcing the westerners to finish with 14 on the field.
From the penalty, Cooney nailed the three points, though it appeared Connacht might tie it up again after a high tackle by Timoney on Ioane, but the visitors opted for the corner though Ioane was the one who badly missed to kick the ball dead.
That gave Ulster some added belief against the visitors and after it was no surprise that they manufactured a try from another lineout near the Connacht line.
Timoney was the scorer after he peeled off and dived over with Mack Hansen caught watching. Cooney again missed but at 32-24 Ulster again looked odds-on winners.
But another penalty allowed Ioane slot a last-gasp penalty to bring them two bonus points from the defeat.
Ulster: E McIlroy, W Kok, S Moore, J Postlethwaite, J Stockdale, A Morgan, J Cooney; A Warwick, J Andrew, T O’Toole, I Henderson (capt), K Treadwell, D McCann, S Reffell, N Timoney.
Replacements: J McCormick for Andrew 53mins, C Reid for Warwick 66mins, C Barrett for O’Toole 70mins, A O’Connor for Henderson 14mins, Marcus Rea for Reffell 60mins, N Doak for Morgan 58mins, B Carson for Postlethwaite 31mins, M Lowry for Moore 73mins.
Yellow card: Kok 32
Connacht: S Cordero, M Hansen, P O’Conor, B Aki, S Bolton, J Ioane, B Murphy, D Buckley, D Heffernan, F Bealham, J Joyce, J Murphy, C Prendergast (capt), S O’Brien, P Boyle.
Replacements: D Tierney-Martin for Heffernan 56mins, P Dooley for Buckley 56mins, T Lasisi for Bealham 11-18mins, 66mins, O Dowling for Joyce 61mins, D O’Connor for Boyle 61mins, C Blade for Murphy 63mins, C Forde unused, C Oliver for O’Brien 63mins.
Yellow card: J Murphy 49
Red card: J Murphy 71
Referee: A Brace (IRFU)
“My rugby was good, my kicking off the tee wasn’t so good. But I really enjoyed that game, feel really good physically, this is my home, and felt great for the eighty minutes.”
Josh Murphy’s red card came at a critical time, costing Connacht dearly but they finish with two losing bonus points.
It was a tough, physical inter-pro battle but it’s Ulster who grind out the win, getting back on track after losing two of their first three games prior to this one. John Cooney was the man-of-the-match having notched an opportunistic try against his old club.
It’s all friendship now after what was at times a tense battle, with Connacht clapping Ulster off the pitch with a guard of honour.
John Cooney meanwhile has been named as the official man-of-the-match.
Connacht’s Josh Murphy looks to be in serious trouble after shouldering an Ulster man into the head. Murphy was yellow carded earlier on in the game.
There’s blood coming from Finlay Bealham’s eye, with the referee telling him he’ll need to go off to get cleaned up. An unfazed Bealham looked eager to plough on.
Connacht are on the attack.