Ulster 23-22 Treviso: Ulster squeeze out brave Benetton
By PA
Last Updated: 24/11/17 11:23pm
A last-gasp 77th minute try from replacement Andrew Trimble, along with a critical conversion by Christian Leali'ifano, rescued Ulster from defeat as they beat Benetton Treviso 23-22.
After only leading 13-9 at half-time following an early score from Tommy Bowe, Les Kiss' side struggled against the Italians before finally making it back-to-back wins in the Guinness PRO14 following the autumn break.
Leali'ifano also kicked a second-half penalty while John Cooney kicked two penalties and a conversion in the opening 40 minutes.
Injury-hit Ulster failed to take adequate advantage of a yellow card shown to Benetton Treviso winger Andrea Bronzini late in the first-half and struggled from there.
Benetton scored one try from Robert Barbieri, while man of the match Tommaso Allan kicked four penalties and a conversion, and substitute Marty Banks added one second-half penalty.
The kick-off was delayed as the Benetton team bus was involved in a minor accident, but the Italians were first to score when Allan kicked an early penalty.
He slotted a second nine minutes later, before Ulster struck off a lineout maul when Cooney found Bowe on the right and the winger rounded the defence to score.
Cooney's well-struck conversion put Ulster ahead by a point, 7-6 and that became 10-6 four minutes later when Cooney hit a long-range penalty.
The Ulster scrum-half missed with his next effort though after the Benetton scrum was penalised, but Cooney made no mistake on the half-hour mark after Bronzini was yellow-carded for a high hit on Louis Ludik.
Allan then missed a 34th-minute penalty but made amends four minutes later when Nick Timoney was penalised at a ruck and the half ended with Ulster leading 13-9.
After a fitful opening to the second half, Allan put the Italians one point behind with a 50th-minute penalty before a mix-up from a Paul Marshall box kick - on his 200th game - saw new cap Schalk van der Merwe pass straight to Barbieri, who gratefully accepted to score.
Allan converted the 56th-minute try and Ulster now trailed 19-13. They responded and after turning down a kickable penalty, Leali'ifano nailed a 63rd-minute penalty from long range.
Banks slotted a 73rd-minute penalty to push the Italians into a 22-16 lead but with time running out, Ulster came again through Trimble, who surged over and Leali'ifano added the critical conversion.
