The Borders - 15 Ulster - 19 Title chasing Ulster secured the win they sought but with little to spare against a Borders side that matched the visitors in tries and denied them a bonus point.
Last night at Netherdale Ulster failed to take their scoring chances in the first half and looked fragile in defence when Borders attacked them.
The visitors looked like league leaders in the opening minute with a move from Neil Doak and Scott Young that all but brought a try for the supporting Andy Ward. But they did not have long to wait for the atoning score as loosehead Simon Best crashed over for an unconverted try.
A fightback by Borders was repelled, and after home full back Gareth Morton missed a long-range penalty attempt David Humphreys showed how it should be done with the first goal of the match.
Then Borders, growing in confidence, conjured a try from set-piece possession, as skipper Kevin Utterson broke through on the blindside before delivering the scoring pass to number eight Semo Sititi.
Just before half-time Borders struck again, this time through the boot of outhalf Tanner Vili, whose simple penalty kick levelled the scores at 8-8 going into the break.
Two minutes into the second half Ulster regained the initiative with a drop goal from Humphreys.
Ulster, however, were increasingly taking control up front and showed their strength when from a lineout in the corner, the big men mauled their way over for a try credited to flanker Neil Best.
Humphreys missed the conversion kick but quickly compensated with a second penalty goal to put his side into a 19-8 lead. But again just as it looked as though Ulster were cruising to an easy win , Borders produced a shock score, this time from replacement scrumhalf Iain Fairley, whose darting run from a quickly taken tap penalty caught the visitors off guard.
THE BORDERS: G Morton; C Moir, J Stuart, K Utterson, A Turnbull; T Vili, G Armstrong; A Johnston, S Scott, B Douglas, S MacLeod, C Stewart, J Dalziel, K Brown, S Sititi. Replacements: R Ford for Scott (55 mins), G Cross for Johnston (65 mins), I Fairley for Armstrong (66 mins), S Cranston for Moir (66 mins.)
ULSTER: B Cunningham; S Young, S Stewart, P Steinmetz, T Howe; D Humphreys, N Doak; S Best, M Sexton, R Moore, G Longwell, R Frost, A Ward, N Best, R Wilson. Replacements: P Shields for Sexton , R McCormack for Moore (both 60 mins), N McMillan for Ward, P Wallace for Cunningham (both 50 mins), K Campbell for Steinmetz (75 mins), T Bowe for Howe (34 mins).
Referee: N Whitehouse (Wales)
