Cardiff 16 Ulster 15:ULSTER SUFFERED their second straight defeat of the season despite a valiant display against Cardiff Blues.

Ireland scrum-half Isaac Boss looked set to hand Ulster a morale-boosting win at the Arms Park with a try in the 71st minute.

But Ben Blair - who scored 11 points for the Blues - showed a cool head with the winning penalty with eight minutes remaining.

BJ Botha's try handed Ulster a 8-6 half-time lead but Leigh Halfpenny's first try for the Blues gave the home side the initiative in the second period as Ulster picked up a losing bonus point.

The Irish province arrived in Cardiff on the back of a disappointing opening defeat to another Welsh outfit, the newly-named Scarlets. Ulster coach Matt Williams made four changes from the 16-9 loss at Ravenhill with Niall O'Connor, Tom Court, Ryan Caldwell and David Powell restored to the starting line-up.

After a scrappy opening, Ulster took advantage of the Blues' casual start when South African prop Botha powered over for the first try on 11 minutes.

The visitors had several shoves towards the Blues' try-line but it was the 17-cap Springbok, part of last year's World Cup winning squad, who evaded the Blues' feeble marking to open the scoring.

Clinton Schifcofske missed the conversion to the right of the posts but the attacking intent was clear from Ulster.

The Blues hit back through Ben Blair's penalty six minutes later but after Australian Schifcofske limped off, Niall O'Connor took over the kicking duties and re-established Ulster's five-point lead after 24 minutes.

O'Connor pinned the Blues back with some intelligent kicking into the home side's 22 as the visitors dominated territory.

But last season's Magners League runners-up remained firmly in the match thanks to Blair's second penalty from just inside the halfway line as Ulster headed into the break 8-6 up.

The Blues wasted a glorious chance two minutes into the second period when Jamie Robinson made the break but wing Leigh Halfpenny overran the scoring pass.

O'Connor missed the chance to extend Ulster's slender two-point lead with a long-range penalty on 45 minutes.

Blair failed to make the Ulster number ten pay when he crashed a 55th minute penalty against the right-hand upright.

But 19-year-old Halfpenny seized on replacement Ceri Sweeney's inside pass to storm through the Ulster midfield to touch down under the posts on 58 minutes.

Blair converted and the Blues fans breathed a huge sigh of relief around the Arms Park.

But Boss silenced the home faithful in the 71st minute as he shrugged off Robinson's tackle to score under the posts.

O'Connor converted for a 15-13 lead but the drama was not over as within 60 seconds Blair shaved the inside of the right-hand post with a penalty which sufficed to hand the Blues a narrow victory.

CARDIFF BLUES:B Blair; L Halfpenny (C Czekaj 72), J Robinson, G Thomas, C Czekaj (J Roberts 64); N Robinson (C Sweeney 45), D Allinson (J Spice 59); G Jenkins, R Thomas (G Williams 61), G Powell, B Davies (S Morgan 66), P Tito (capt), M Molitika, M Lewis, M Williams (A Powell 40). Replacements: J Yapp

ULSTER:C Schifcofske (B Cunningham 20); A Trimble, D Cave, P Wallace (R Dewey 13), T Nagusa, N O'Connor, I Boss; T Court (J Fitzpatrick 51), R Best (capt), B Botha (T Court 73), R Caldwell, E O'Donoghue, M McCullough, R Diack, D Pollock (T Anderson 43). Replacements: N Brady, K Dawson, C Willis

Attendance:7,431

Referee:Alan Lewis (Ireland)