Edinburgh leapfrogged the Scarlets in the GUINNESS PRO12 top six race and ended their opponents’ impressive home record in the process as they triumphed in an arm-wrestle of a match.

The Welsh side had not lost a league game at the Parc y Scarlets since December 2013, but first-half tries from Phil Burleigh and David Denton, allied with a perfect kicking display by Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, ensured Alan Solomons’ men continue an impressive domestic revival.

Steve Shingler slotted five penalties before the break as the hosts looked to build on a 23-13 victory over Leinster in their last GUINNESS PRO12 clash, but they endured a pointless second half and saw replacement scrum-half Gareth Davies sent off.

The result puts Edinburgh in a promising position as they chase a top half finish, with two games at the BT Murrayfield to come in the next two rounds.

It didn’t take long for the hosts to get the scoreboard ticking over, Shingler slotting a straightforward penalty in the first minute after Edinburgh infringed at the breakdown.

But the visitors arrived at the Parc y Scarlets having won four of their last six GUINNESS PRO12 matches, and it was they who registered the game’s opening try with a fantastic length-of-the-field score.

Full-back Jack Cuthbert cleverly shipped the ball on after gathering on the cover, and Burleigh linked up with returning Scotland winger Tim Visser to race home, Hidalgo-Clyne on target with the conversion.

Shingler responded with a second penalty to reduce the arrears to a single point, as both sides showed attacking intent in a potentially pivotal fixture.

Edinburgh’s indiscipline was threatening to become an issue as they gave away another three-point opportunity from a driving maul, their West Walian opponents retaking the lead courtesy of Shingler’s boot before the fly-half slotted another to make it 12-7 after 23 minutes.

And referee John Lacey eventually lost his patience with the Scottish side’s illegal play, No.10 Greig Tonks going to the bin after another infringement – Shingler continued his metronomic afternoon from the tee.

Hamish Watson should have grabbed Edinburgh’s second try of the afternoon on the half-hour mark, but he failed to ground the ball as an inexorable maul from the visitors rolled over the Scarlets line, the flanker then being held up for a second time from the subsequent scrum.

John Barclay joined Tonks in the bin as the home side desperately defended their line, although Hidalgo-Clyne was able to slot a penalty to ensure Solomons’ side left the Scarlets 22 with some points.

And as Wales international Ken Owens began to struggle at the lineout, Edinburgh pounced, turning the ball over and recycling through several phases to allow Denton the space to crash over for the score, Hidalgo-Clyne’s conversion sneaking through via the right upright to give the visitors a 17-15 lead at the break.

The second half started at a slower pace than the first, and as the hosts’ penalty count began to creep ominously up, their stunning home record looked in serious jeopardy.

Owens burst down the right wing after a classy offload from Regan King to take the Scarlets within a few metres of the Edinburgh line as they looked to make a statement and retake the lead, but Hadleigh Parkes knocked on as he looked to slice through a gap in the defence.

And the indiscipline which had plagued both teams for much of the match reached a crescendo when replacement scrum-half Davies received a red card only moments after entering the fray for a head-butt – Hidalgo-Clyne rubbing salt in the wound by converting the penalty.

Andries Strauss thought he was set to clinch the game as he raced clear when the ball went loose in midfield, but play was called back for a knock-on by Denton in contact.

Scrum-half Hidalgo-Clyne maintained his 100 percent record with the boot to stretch Edinburgh’s lead to eight points after the Scarlets pack folded at a scrum, and a further three-pointer sealed an impressive result for the Scottish club.