Connacht made it five wins from six in the Guinness PRO12
Last Updated: 01/11/15 7:47pm
Connacht remain second in the Guinness PRO12 table after a tense 14-9 win over Edinburgh at the Sportsground.
Pat Lam's men have now won five of their six games and they remain hot on the heels of the table-topping Scarlets.
Jack Carty got Connacht up and running with a penalty from 25 metres out and they then scored a superbly-worked try in the ninth minute.
From a lineout won by Aly Muldowney, Carty's inviting inside pass sent Matt Healy charging through a gap and he sent Tiernan O'Halloran away for a lovely score.
But Carty hit the post with his conversion attempt and Edinburgh hit back on the quarter-hour mark when Sam Hidalgo-Clyne put a three-pointer over.
The rest of the first-half was fairly scrappy but, as half-time approached, Edinburgh's teenage full-back Blair Kinghorn kicked a long-range penalty to make it 8-6 to the hosts at half-time.
However, a strong burst from Bundee Aki led to a Connacht penalty soon after the resumption, which Carty sent through the uprights for 11-6.
Sam Beard, one of Edinburgh's most threatening runners, led their response with a neat break, and Hidalgo-Clyne knocked over his second penalty in the 55th minute, rewarding his forwards for getting pressure on the Connacht lineout.
However, lively flanker Nepia Fox-Matamua got over a ruck ball straight from the re-start to win another Connacht penalty and Carty again made the kick, taking the lead to 14-9.
Carty went on to miss chances to add to the advantage, sending a long range effort wide after a scrum penalty and then missing a 78th minute kick after Edinburgh lock Fraser McKenzie was sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle.
Despite having been reduced to 14 men, the visitors then launched a determined late surge from their own half, but Connacht won a final breakdown penalty and managed to hold on and avenge last January's 16-13 home loss to the Scottish side.
