Tiernan O’Halloran scored the only try of the game as Connacht edged past Edinburgh 14-9 at the Sportsground to move up to second in the GUINNESS PRO12 table.

O’Halloran’s effort, following Matt Healy’s impressive break from halfway, and a Jack Carty penalty helped Connacht into a narrow 8-6 lead at the break.

Two further Carty penalties, compared to Edinburgh’s one, was enough to seal the victory after the interval as the Irish side continued their impressive start to the campaign.

Both sides headed into the game having lost just one GUINNESS PRO12 encounter from five this term and it was Connacht who got on the board first as Carty slotted an eighth-minute penalty after Edinburgh were penalised for coming in at the side.

And that became 8-0 just two minutes later as Healy’s incisive break from halfway saw him link up with O’Halloran who raced over to touch down.

Carty’s conversion attempt hit the post and the eight-point advantage was reduced to five soon after as Sam Hidalgo-Clyne booted a penalty for Edinburgh, although a rolling maul had almost seen them over the line for a try.

After getting on the board, the visitors continued to push forward with Blair Kinghorn looking a consistent danger with ball in hand.

But it was the powerful boot of the full-back that earned the Scottish side their next score as he kicked a penalty from just inside his own half to narrow the gap to 8-6 at half-time.

Carty’s second three-pointer just after the break restored Connacht’s five-point lead and the 23-year-old then exchanged penalties with Hidalgo-Clyne as the score moved to 14-9.

Edinburgh had won both their fixtures against Irish provinces earlier this season, downing Leinster and Ulster, and continued to pressurise Connacht as they sought to make it three-from-three.

Yet as the game moved towards its conclusion, it was the men from Galway who looked more likely to score, Craig Ronaldson knocking on in a good position following an attacking line-out.

Carty then had two chances to put the game beyond Edinburgh in the final five minutes only to see one penalty go wide before a second fell just short.

Edinburgh lock Fraser McKenzie was sin-binned and although the Scots put together over 15 phases in search of a winning score as the clock seeped into red, Finlay Bealham won a turnover at the breakdown as Pat Lam’s men held on leaving their opponents to settle for a losing bonus point.

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