Connacht 5 Munster 16Munster remain unbeaten after a tight contest with Connacht at the Galway Sportsground yesterday.

With little between the sides Munster took advantage of the second-half sinbinning of Connacht flanker Shane Young during which time they posted 10 points with a converted try and penalty to ensure victory.

The damage was executed by the Munster pack, who, thwarted on their first attempt to bulldoze over the line, settled for a Conan Doyle penalty on 60 minutes.

However, four minutes later they repeated the forward drive with flanker Billy Holland breaking away to score. Until then Connacht had held a slender 5-3 lead courtesy of a well worked try from Brian Murphy who dived over in the corner.

The only difference in a high-tempo first 40 minutes was a penalty from Doyle, and he increased his tally to 11 points with a 74th minute penalty.

CONNACHT: M Butler; C O'Beirne, M Aspell, K Finane, B Murphy; P Durcan, P Phelan; M Diffley, C Muldoon, C Telford, L Scahill, D McGowan, R Morrow, S Young, L Casserly. Replacements: S Considine for Phelan, C Doyle for Scahill, C Power for O'Beirne (all 74m), J Mullen for Morrow (78m).

MUNSTER: I Hanley; E Maloney, T Gleeson, E Ryan, E Mills; C Doyle, D Williams; D Hurley, B Duggan, D Ryan, B Nagle, C Kenefick, B Holland, M Essex, D Sherry. Replacements: M O'Hea for Nagle (45m), A Ross for Maloney (75m), R Feeney for Hurley (78m).

Referee: E O'Dowd (ARLB).