New Zealander Miah Nikora kicked a late penalty as Connacht, the Magners League’s bottom side, edged out high-flying Edinburgh in an absorbing encounter at the Sportsground on Friday.
Despite missing of number of frontliners through injury, including team captain John Muldoon and powerful centre Niva Ta’auso, Connacht rose to the occasion as they managed to extend their unbeaten home run to seven matches.
In an end-to-end game laced with twists and turns, an early try from winger Brian Tuohy helped Connacht into an 11-0 lead before play-off hopefuls Edinburgh hit back.
Wingers Tim Visser and Mark Robertson both touched down as the Scottish side snapped back to take a 14-11 half-time lead,
Connacht out-half Ian Keatley, who finished with 14 points, and Edinburgh flanker Roddy Grant swapped tries in the second half, but Keatley’s replacement Miah Nikora grabbed the headlines by nailing the match-winning kick, five minutes from time.
The victory has given Michael Bradley’s charges a massive boost ahead of next weekend’s Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final against French side Bourgoin.
Whereas, it could prove to be a costly slip-up in the long run for Edinburgh who are still third in the table ahead of their final three matches.
Connacht really should have been ahead at half-time, having opened well and showed some of the form which almost shocked Leinster into submission last time out.
Keatley got them off the mark with a penalty in the third minute and he made a superb break to set up Tuohy for an unconverted eighth-minute try.
Keatley was linking well with the in-form Frank Murphy, behind a cohesive home pack, and he landed a lovely drop goal from distance while Connacht had a penalty advantage.
But try-scoring chances for the hosts were missed when the fleet-footed Fionn Carr decided to kick rather than back his own pace, and Mike McComish and Michael Swift were held up close to the line on separate occasions.
Edinburgh, who had lacked their usual panache, sprung into life in the closing ten minutes of the opening half.
Godman twice kicked penalties to the corner and the pressure told when Dutchman Visser broke through for his eighth try of the league campaign.
Godman added the extras and after a Troy Nathan-led attack came to nothing, Edinburgh clinically countered for their second try, swinging play left and right before Robertson finished well.
Three points ahead at the break, Rob Moffat’s men tore into Connacht at the start of the second half and with Jim Hamilton and Alan MacDonald carrying well, they looked poised to score.
Ben Cairns went close to registering a try but Keatley left the Scots reeling, five minutes in, when he intercepted a pass on the ten-metre line and darted over for an encouraging score which he failed to convert.
Edinburgh’s all-international pack began to force the issue, particularly at scrum time, and a typically pacy attack from the visitors saw Grant cross for a try which Godman converted.
21-19 up with 20 minutes remaining, Edinburgh were all set to finish the job but Connacht dug their heels in and produced a typically dogged final quarter, as the rain began to teem down.
Chasing their first away win since December, Edinburgh were met with stubborn resistance and as Connacht countered and their forwards built through the phases, they eked out that crucial penalty which Nikora coolly converted.
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