Ulster overcome Bath
Ulster opened their Heineken Cup campaign with a 26-12 home win over Guinness Premiership side Bath.
Last Updated: 10/10/09 10:19am
Ulster opened their Heineken Cup campaign with a 26-12 home win over Guinness Premiership side Bath.
Fly-half Ian Humphreys produced another impressive display for the Magners League outfit, scoring three penalties, a drop goal and two conversions.
Humphreys and Ryan Davis exchanged penalties in the first ten minutes before Fijian winger Timoci Nagusa touched down for the home side and Humphreys added the conversion.
A second penalty for Davis seven minutes later brought Bath back into the game but the remainder of the half was fairly scrappy and Ulster took a 10-6 lead into the break.
The home side made it 13-6 just two minutes into the second half when a series of pick and drives instigated from a lineout take by Stephen Ferris resulted in a Humphreys drop-goal.
The lead was extended when Humphreys put hooker Andy Kyriacou through and he drew the cover to put flanker Willie Faloon under the posts.
Humphreys easily converted but Ulster's 20-9 lead was shortened when they conceded a penalty which Davis converted to make it 20-12 five minutes before the hour mark.
The home side increased the deficit again two minutes later, when Bath killed the ball on the floor and Humphreys kicked his second penalty.
Bath's Andy Beattie was handed a red card for what appeared to be dangerous use of the boot and Humphreys landed another penalty with just a few minutes remaining to give the home side a convincing victory ahead of next week's trip to Edinburgh.
