Ulster 14-15 Munster: Visitors snatch last-gasp URC victory in Belfast

Munster snatched a 15-14 victory over Ulster in the United Rugby Championship as Ben Healy's injury-time try and conversion stunned the home side.

Three John Cooney penalties put Ulster 9-0 up at half-time after a scrappy opening 40 minutes.

Paddy Patterson's 46th-minute try cut the margin before Robert Baloucoune's score put Ulster nine ahead once more.

But Healy's 74th-minute penalty cut Ulster's lead before pressure yielded the replacement's last-gasp scores.

Jack Crowley's sensational line break from his own 10-metre line to the edge of the Ulster 22 set up Munster's match-clinching score as they were camped on the home team's line before Healy finally broke the resistance.

Healy still had to gather himself to slot the conversion from just to the side of the posts and made no mistake to the obvious delight of Munster coach Graham Rowntree.

Moore injury compounds Ulster misery

Munster's failure to beat an understrength Leinster on Boxing Day was another setback in a season of struggle up to now but this victory will move them up the table after they started the game in 11th position.

A desperately disappointing evening for Ulster - who were third in the table at the start of play - included prop Marty Moore being stretchered off in the first half after sustaining a serious looking injury to his right leg.

Despite Munster's big effort after half-time, Baloucoune's 68th-minute try, set up by Stuart McCloskey's magnificent 30-yard pass, seemed set to ensure the home team's victory but the visitors displayed tremendous resilience to fight back to secure a victory that they deserved.

Munster went into the content minus their forwards big guns Tadhg Beirne and Peter O'Mahony as they made six changes from the frustrating defeat at the RDS.

As has been the case for much of the campaign, Munster were hindered by indiscipline in the first half as Cooney punished indiscretions by slotting penalties in the 13th, 20th and 25th minutes.

The home side then seemed to have struck a big psychological blow late in the first half as they repelled intense pressure to remain 9-0 up at the break despite having hooker Tom Stewart yellow carded.

Robert Baloucoune's 68th-minute try seemed to have secured Ulster victory but Munster had other ideas

But with Stewart still in the bin, Munster resumed where they had left off and scrum-half Patterson finally burst the dam by scampering over the line in the 44th minute although Crowley, who started at fly-half before switching to centre late on, hit an upright with his conversion.

Despite impressive breakdown work and carrying by back-row pair, Gavin Coombes and Alex Kendellen, Munster were unable to exploit further pressure and Ulster appeared to have punished this in the 68th minute as Baloucoune, back in the side for the first time since October, ran in his try after McCloskey's long pass had taken out two defenders.

Nathan Doak, by now on for Cooney who had box-kicked superbly in addition to slotting his points, narrowly missed the conversion from the touchline which ultimately proved important.

Munster opted for a guaranteed three points as Healy kicked his 74th-minute penalty - instead of going for the corner - and it proved an inspired decision as Crowley's sensational break two minutes later led to their further intense pressure which was finished off by the replacement fly-half's decisive scores.

Ulster: S Moore; Baloucoune, Hume, McCloskey, Stockdale; Burns, Cooney; Sutherland, Stewart, M Moore; Treadwell, Henderson (capt); Jones, Reffell, Vermeulen.

Replacements: Andrew, O'Sullivan, Milasinovich, Carter, Murphy, Doak, Flannery, McIlroy.

Munster: Haley; Daly, Frisch, Fekitoa, Earls; Crowley, Patterson; Kilcoyne, Scannell, Salanoa; Kleyn, McDonald; O'Donoghue (capt), Kendellen, Coombes.

Replacements: Buckley, Wycherley, Archer, Hurley, O'Sullivan, Murray, Healy, Campbell.