Ulster 14-15 Munster: Scannell drop goal secures Guinness PRO12 victory for visitors

Rory Scannell scored a try and the match-winning drop goal

Rory Scannell’s late drop goal secured Munster victory at the Kingspan Stadium as they came back from 14-0 down.

The result pushes Munster ahead of their local rivals in the Guinness PRO12 table and means that they have now won three in a row at the Kingspan Stadium - the first time that they have done so since the Second World War.

It consigned Ulster to their second successive PRO12 defeat to Irish opposition and also inflicted on them their first home league reverse of the season.

On the occasion when Ulster paid tribute to Anthony Foley by erecting a plaque to his memory in the away changing room - a response to the gesture made by Munster at Thomond Park following Ulster player Nevin Spence's death in 2012 - both sides went at this inter-provincial tie with commitment.

Ulster got things going after just four minutes when Paddy Jackson's cross-kick bounced back off the leaping Craig Gilroy and Andrew Conway with Charles Piutau gratefully accepting the rebound to score his first competitive try for Les Kiss's side.

Jackson converted and then Munster turned up the pressure only for Ian Keatley's long-range drop goal to miss the target and the out-half then made a complete hash of his 14th-minute effort.

Rob Lyttle diving over for his first-half try

Despite Munster applying all the pressure, the next score came from the home side, on a rare venture into the southern province's territory, when replacement Robert Lyttle danced his way past Tommy O'Donnell and Keatley to dot down at the posts.

Jackson again converted and Ulster led 14-0 after being under pressure for most of the game. Still, the visitors had the final say in the half when they worked Scannell over in the corner on 40 minutes.

Keatley missed the extras and the half ended with Ulster leading 14-5. Keatley then hit the posts with a kickable penalty chance in the opening seconds of the second half.

Munster's Rory Scannell celebrates scoring the match winning drop goal

It took until five minutes after the hour for the next score to come when centre Jaco Taute barged over from close range after Munster had driven from a lineout up to the Ulster line, Scannell's conversion cutting the home side's lead to just two points.

Ulster needed to score next but Jackson sent his 68th-minute penalty wide and Munster punished them when they took the lead for the first time with Scannell's 75th-minute drop goal.

Now scrambling to get back, Jackson fired a long-range drop goal attempt wide with just three minutes left and the visitors held on and took the victory.