Pro14: Connacht overpower 14-man Ulster to claim first win in Belfast since 1960

Connacht's Cian Kelleher and Matt Healy combine to tackle Angus Kernohan of Ulster

Connacht registered their first win in Belfast in 58 years as 14-man Ulster slumped to a second consecutive inter-provincial loss in the Pro14.

Tiernan O'Halloran's fifth-minute try, a penalty try and Bundee Aki's late intercept earned a 15-22 win.

Jacob Stockdale marked his first Ulster appearance of the season with a try but a red card for Matty Rea at the start of the second half proved decisive.

Nick Timoney's last-gasp try salvaged a losing bonus point for the hosts.

Connacht came to the Kingspan Stadium having last won in Belfast in November 1960 but the visitors were rewarded for an ambitious game plan that demonstrated how their play is developing under the tutelage of new head coach Andy Friend.

The attacking style encouraged by the former Australia Sevens coach was rewarded with a thrilling performance that will fill the western province with confidence ahead of their opening European Challenge Cup game against Bordeaux Begles next Saturday.

Ulster can also turn their focus towards their European campaign as head coach Dan McFarland must lift his side before they return to Kingspan Stadium for their Heineken Champions Cup opener against Leicester Tigers next week.

Tiernan O'Halloran injured his ankle while scoring Connacht's opening try

Connacht scrum turns the screw

Having conceded nine tries in their defeat by Munster last weekend, Ulster's defence was immediately put back under the microscope by Connacht's pacy backline, who looked eager to run at the untested centre pairing of Stuart McCloskey and Angus Curtis.

A well-rehearsed move off a lineout on the halfway line sent Matt Healy charging through a gap and the wing produced a perfectly-timed pass to the supporting O'Halloran, who still had to hold off Stockdale's last-ditch tackle to ground the ball.

Ulster, by comparison, looked more ponderous in attack and their first sustained spell in the Connacht 22 ended without a score as Peter Nelson was swallowed up by the covering defence.

The Connacht forwards were determined not to be overshadowed by their backline team-mates and their utter dominance against the Ulster pack became the theme of the first half after a series of five-metre scrums were eventually rewarded with a penalty try by referee Andrew Brace.

Stockdale proved that his try-scoring ability remains as sharp as ever when he conjured an acrobatic score from Billy Burns' cross-field kick - the Ireland wing somehow managing to stay in touch as he gathered the bouncing ball.

But Ulster's hopes of a fight-back were undone by a pair of disallowed tries around the half-hour mark as Angus Kernohan and then Peter Nelson were both judged to have been ahead of the kicker before racing through to ground the ball.

The home fans were further enraged just before the break when Marcell Coetzee was sin binned for a high tackle that left his side facing an uphill battle.

Matty Rea's dismissal at the start of the second half proved decisive

Undermanned Ulster unable to build phases

Fourteen men became 13 at the start of the second half when Rea was shown a red card for taking out Cian Kelleher in the air and Connacht never looked in danger of relinquishing their stranglehold on the game.

The hosts bravely managed to see out the absence of Coetzee without conceding and John Cooney's long-range penalty, just moments after missing from a similar range, brought them back within six points.

But Ulster's failure to retain possession and build phases proved to be their undoing as a series of knock-ons, missed passes and needless penalties allowed Connacht to control the game.

The pressure finally told in the 73rd minute when Aki cleverly read an attempted wrap-around move and sprinted clear to get the insurance score.

The departing crowd were at least treated to a final piece of drama as Timoney sprinted onto Stuart McCloskey's delayed pass and raced the length of the Connacht half to score a try that Cooney converted to snatch a losing bonus point.

'Decisions went against us'

Ulster defence coach Jared Payne on BBC Radio Ulster: "I thought it was hugely positive from the boys, they put a lot of hard work in there, being down to 13 men, and it was just unfortunate that a few decisions didn't go our way I think.

"I imagine the boys will be tired, they've put in a huge shift out there so they'll be tired and they'll probably be a bit down, which is only natural, but I still think there's a lot of positives to take from the game and we've just got to keep on pushing forward and improve the performance again next week."

Ulster: Nelson; Kernohan, Curtis, McCloskey, Stockdale; Burns, Cooney; Warwick, Best (capt), O'Toole; O'Connor, Henderson; Rea, Timoney, Coetzee.

Replacements: McBurney, O'Sullivan, Kane, Treadwell, Reidy, Shanahan, McPhillips, Hume.

Sin binned: Coetzee (40)

Sent off: Rea (41)

Connacht: O'Halloran, Adeolokun, Farrell, Aki, Healy, Carty, Marmion; Buckley, McCartney, Bealham, Dillane, Roux, O'Brien, Butler (capt), Boyle.

Replacements: Delahunt, McCabe, Carey, Cannon, Fainga'a, Blade, Godwin, Kelleher.