Ulster boss Edinburgh

Ulster have given their chances of reaching the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup a boost after scoring a 21-13 Pool Four victory against Edinburgh.

Brian McLaughlin's side produced a disciplined performance against a hard-working Edinburgh outfit, the match played in driving wind and rain on a quagmire of a pitch at Ravenhill.

Allied to control, though, were the moments of inspiration required to turn a match and for those Ulster have Isaac Boss to thank, the scrum-half setting up Darren Cave's first-half try before touching down himself.

Edinburgh themselves played better rugby when up against the wind in the second half and pulled one back through Jim Thompson.

However, they were forced to work hard against Ulster's pack - the visitors making 100 tackles in the first half alone - and conceded too many penalties, three of which were converted.

The result means that Ulster go level on points with Stade Francais at the top of the group - the French side playing Bath on Saturday.

To progress, however, they must beat Bath in their final group contest next week and hope for the French side to slip up against Edinburgh.

Ulster started as they meant to go on, although they did have a fright in the fifth minute when Stephen Ferris twisted his knee when tackled to the ground by Scott MacLeod after taking a quick-tap penalty.

There were fears the Ireland international had suffered a recurrence of the knee injury he picked up on last summer's Lions tour but the back-row forward was soon back into his stride.

Edinburgh immediately set about giving away penalties, the net result being the sin-binning of prop Dave Young in the seventh minute.

Looping

Ulster almost immediately exploited the advantage when fly-half Ian Humphreys threw a looping pass right to Simon Danielli; however, the winger dropped the ball.

Ironically, the first points on the board were courtesy of an Edinburgh penalty, kicked by Chris Paterson just past the halfway point in the opening period after Ulster were caught offside.

The game started to liven up, with Andrew Trimble cancelling out a break by Tim Visser before the home side made the breakthrough in the 28th minute.

Boss was the architect for Ulster, the number nine taking a quick tap and run penalty before darting forward into the Edinburgh half.

His progress was halted by Phil Godman but he soon picked up the thread once more, with Dan Tuohy progressing the move towards the left flank before his off-load set up Cave to cross.

Despite unleashing a lavish banana shot into the wind, Humphreys was unable to convert and Edinburgh crept back in front four minutes before the interval when Paterson mastered the conditions with a looping long-range penalty.

Ulster's pack started the second half pressuring Edinburgh who, with the wind now against them, spent over 20 phases of play trying to get out of their own 22.

Inevitably they conceded another penalty, which Humphreys converted to hand Ulster a two-point lead.

A subsequent period of prolonged Edinburgh pressure - their best prolonged spell - ended without reward, with Boss instead clearing his lines to hand the advantage back to the home side.

With territory gained, Trimble made for the right-hand corner before Boss again showed his quick-thinking by darting and dummying his way out from a ruck to cross unopposed.

Daylight

Humphreys converted to finally give his side some daylight, but a blemish for Ulster on the hour was an upswing in penalties conceded - with Ferris being sin-binned.

Edinburgh immediately took advantage as Godman's pass right inside Ulster's 22 found John Houston, who then set up Thompson on the overlap to cross.

Paterson converted but Ulster applied pressure right back, their multiple phases producing another penalty which Humphreys converted in the 68th minute.

With Ferris back on the field, Edinburgh made efforts to get the try they needed but Ulster's rock solid defence once more kept them pinned back during the closing minutes.

Instead, they conceded a penalty right at the death, with replacement Niall O'Connor converting to deny Edinburgh a losing bonus point.