Ulster 18-13 Clermont: Irish province claim deserved Champions Cup Pool 3 win

John Cooney was to the fore again as Ulster sealed a memorable European Cup win over Clermont on Friday

Ulster charged to the top of Champions Cup Pool 3 on Friday night after a fantastic display at home to Clermont saw them beat the Top 14 giants 18-13 in Belfast. 

A Jordi Murphy try and marvellous individual John Cooney effort - in addition to two penalties off the tee from the latter - completed the victory, though the Irish province should have won far more comfortably having utterly dominated the contest.

As it was, two Greig Laidlaw penalties and a penalty try coming via the scrum saw Clermont depart with a scarcely deserved losing bonus point - something which could prove crucial come the end of the pool stages.

As well as a scintillating individual try, Cooney also kicked two penalties and a conversion

Cooney got Ulster moving with a second-minute penalty and then came close to scoring in the eighth minute after Stuart McCloskey had put him in the clear only for Alivereti Raka to get to him and force the knock-on.

Ulster then survived a period of Clermont pressure on their line and on 15 minutes Marcell Coetzee won a turnover penalty which Cooney put into the corner.

After winning another penalty, Ulster again opted for the corner and, having thrown to skipper Iain Henderson at the back, they mauled over the Clermont line, with referee JP Doyle awarding the score after consulting the TMO.

Ulster notched the first try of the game via a close-range maul drive

Cooney's conversion put Ulster 10-0 ahead. Jacob Stockdale then did just enough to force Raka into a knock-on on 21 minutes after he tried to latch on to a Jake McIntyre kick through.

In the 25th minute, Luke Marshall came close to scoring after Billy Burns' cross-kick put Stockdale into space down the left, but Clermont's scramble defence just held firm.

The Irish province then came close to being opened up by a Clermont turnover, only for Will Addison to halt lock Paul Jedrasiak with a game-ending hit.

Clermont, though, won a penalty at the resulting scrum which Laidlaw kicked two minutes after the half-hour.

Greig Laidlaw kicked two penalties but was part of a poor Clermont display

Four minutes later, Cooney kicked his second penalty after Clermont were penalised at a ruck to restore Ulster's 10-point lead, which is how the half ended.

The second half began with neither side making much impression as the weather deteriorated, though Cooney did miss touch with two penalties which looked like proving costly.

Laidlaw also pushed the ball wide from distance with a 54th-minute penalty. He made sure with his next chance four minutes later, which was much closer to the posts.

Cooney then struck out of nothing when he broke blind, kicked the ball on and beat Isaia Toeava to the touchdown, and though he failed to convert his 62nd-minute score, Ulster now looked safe at 18-6 ahead.

Cooney goes over for his pivotal try into the final quarter

The French fought back and were awarded a penalty try in the 71st minute after a series of scrums and mauls near the Ulster line, but it was only enough for a losing bonus point.