Pro12: Treviso 23-23 Connacht

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Connacht's Fetu'u Vainikolo goes over for a try

A late converted try by scrum-half Paul O'Donohoe saw Connacht salvage a draw in Friday's Pro12 match in Treviso.

Connacht's Fetu'u Vainikolo scored the first try on 18 minutes and the boot of Dan Parks helped them to a 10-3 lead.

In the second half, Alberto Di Bernardo cut the gap with a penalty and Eduardo Gori got Treviso's first try with the conversion putting them 13-10 up.

Treviso were awarded a penalty try when Connacht collapsed a scrum but the late score by O'Donohoe saved the visitors.

The O'Donohoe try came after the hooter and pulled the score back to 23-21. Parks duly added the extras from the conversion to secure the draw.

The hosts had taken an early lead when Connacht infringed at the ruck and Di Bernardo slotted the resulting penalty.

Parks spurned a chance to level in the 16th minute, pulling his kick to the right of the posts after Treviso were penalised for failing to bind at the scrum.

But that miss was forgotten when Vainikolo received the ball from a good line-out catch and gleefully went over to the left of the posts.

Parks added the conversion to hand Connacht a 7-3 lead.

The fly-half missed a penalty in the 31st minute but made amends with another chance four minutes later as the visitors went into the break with a seven-point cushion.

Di Bernardo reduced the deficit with a penalty shortly after the break and within minutes Treviso had their noses in front when Gori crossed and Di Bernardo added the extras.

Parks and Di Bernardo traded penalties to take the score to 16-16 but with 72 minutes gone Connacht's hopes took a setback when they succumbed to pressure at the scrum and conceded a converted penalty try.

The hosts looked certain to take the win as the game ticked into added time, but O'Donohoe crossed to pull Connacht to within touching distance, and Park held his nerve with the extras to bring an end to an enthralling encounter.

Treviso: McLean, Nitoglia, Campagnaro, la Grange, Toniolatti, Di Bernardo, Gori, Rizzo, Ghiraldini, Rouyet, Minto, Bernabo, Favaro, Zanni, Barbieri.

Replacements: Pratichetti for Nitoglia (70), De Marchi for Rizzo (53), Cittadini for Rouyet (53), Vosawai for Favaro (77), Filippucci for Barbieri (54).

Not used: Maistri, Pavanello, Botes.

Connacht: Duffy, Healy, Poolman, B. Murphy, Vainikolo, Parks, Marmion, Wilkinson, Reynecke, Loughney, Swift, McCarthy, Browne, McKeon, Naoupu.

Replacements: O'Halloran for Healy (75), O'Donohoe for Marmion (70), Ah You for Wilkinson (65), Flavin for Reynecke (72), Cooney for Loughney (70), Kearney for McKeon (58).

Not used: Muldoon, Nikora.

Ref: Neil Patterson (RFU).

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