Aled Thomas held his nerve to score a last-gasp penalty and help Scarlets snatch a 22-21 victory against Edinburgh.

The Welsh region looked to be cruising to victory with a 13-3 half-time lead and that had been extended to 19-6 as the clock crept towards the hour-mark.

But tries from Cornell Du Preez and Alex Toolis turned the game on its head, before Thomas’s late score saved their blushes and moved Scarlets to within a point of GUINNESS PRO12 pace-setters Ulster.

It took just five minutes for Scarlets to stamp their authority on the contest, with man of the match Morgan Allen making a break down the left flank, handing off the returning Damien Hoyland before crossing. Steve Shingler added the extras.

Shingler kicked a penalty on 17 minutes, but at the other end Nathan Fowles reduced the deficit.

Thomas replaced Shingler midway through the opening period but needed no time to settle, instantly finding his range to bisect the posts with a penalty that gave Scarlets a 13-3 half-time lead.

Fowles saw a penalty come back off the upright on the stroke of half-time, but made no such mistake off the tee two minutes after the restart with a straightforward kick in front of the posts.

Scarlets restored their ten-point advantage through Thomas on 47 minutes and he continued to keep his composure, with another successful penalty from long-range.

Edinburgh got themselves a lifeline on 59 minutes as the game began to turn. After a line-out from five metres the visitors worked the ball back out toward the left and Du Preez, at full stretch, dotted down. Greig Tonks hit his conversion wide of the posts.

After a collapsed scrum Tonks clawed Edinburgh back to within five points of the hosts as nerves began to circulate around Parc y Scarlets.

Edinburgh sensed a sensational comeback could be completed and grew in determination, twice charging down kicks inside the Scarlets 22.

Eventually the pressure paid off, Toolis going over in the corner after nine phases to level the score. And Tonks saw a kick from the right touchline sneak inside the posts to give the Scottish side the lead for the first time.

After a rip-roaring start to the GUINNESS PRO12 season, Scarlets had lost three of their last four league matches to put a dent in their prospects of a top-four finish.

But they got back on track.Edinburgh’s advantage lasted just two minutes and Thomas held his nerve to bisect the points from just outside the 22.

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