Edinburgh 13 Connacht 16 Connacht secured a vital Celtic League victory at Murrayfield last evening to keep alive their hopes of claiming the vital European Cup play-off spot.
Connacht's greater need saw them take a 13-0 lead before the Gunners hit back to level late on. Incredibly Connacht, having lost two key backrow players to injury, won the decisive penalty with a rare foray into the 22 four minutes from time.
Connacht had enjoyed the better of the first half, and it was Eric Elwood, back in the number 10 jersey, who potted a penalty on 12 minutes. John O'Sullivan, Matt Lacey and Michael Swift, until his retirement on 37 minutes, were at their foraging best.
The only try of the half came after 31 minutes when Edinburgh lost possession on the Connacht 10m line, and when Elwood found O'Sullivan, the number eight raced down the tramline before kicking for left wing David Slemen who won the race.
Elwood added a second penalty after the re-start when Alastair Kellock was sent to the sin bin for playing the ball on the ground.
Despite being a player down, Edinburgh, keeping the ball close, eventually broke through for a deserved try when Nathan Hines, Todd Blackadder, and Brendan Laney made the hard yards before prop Craig Smith bulldozed his way over.
Godwin added the conversion and a 55-metre penalty when Matt Lacey followed Kellock to the bin for a high tackle on Simon Webster. Connacht eventually conceded the penalty that drew Edinburgh level.
Yet incredibly Connacht forced their way forward with a rare forward drive and when Edinburgh yielded the penalty four minutes from time Elwood made no mistake.
Scoring sequence: 12mins: Elwood pen, 0-3; 31: Slemen try, Elwood con, 0-10, 44: Elwood pen, 0-13; 49: Smith try, Godwin con, 7-13; 55: Godwin pen, 10-13; 67: Laney pen, 13-13; 76: Elwood pen, 13-16.
EDINBURGH: B Laney; S Webster, M Di Rollo, B MacDougall, C Joiner; P Godman, M Blair; A Jacobsen, D Hall, C Smith, N Hines, A Kellock, A Strokosch, S Cross, T Blackadder. Replacements: A Dickinson for Jacobsen (57 mins), P Boston for Macdougall (60 mins), M Pyke for Webster (71 mins), A Jacobsen for Smith (73 mins)
CONNACHT: M Mostyn; C McPhillips, D Yapp, M McHugh, D Slemen; E Elwood, C Keane; D McFarland, J Fogarty, S Knoop, C Short, A Farley (capt), M Swift, M Lacey, J O'Sullivan. Replacements: J Muldoon for Swift (37 mins), B O'Connor for O'Sullivan (HT), B Jackman for Fogarty (66 mins), T Robinson for Yapp (71 mins), T Robinson for Yapp (71 mins), A Clarke for McFarland (83 mins). Yellow cards: Edinburgh - A Kellock (44 mins); Connacht - M Lacey (55 mins) Referee: H Watkins (WRU)
