Ulster overcame a dogged Newport Gwent Dragons to maintain their place in the top four of the Guinness PRO12 with a hard-fought victory at Rodney Parade.

The home side never let Ulster out of sight until the dying minutes as they went in search of what would have been just a fifth league win of the season.

Craig Gilroy gave Ulster an early lead but Rynard Landman cancelled out their arrears before Jared Payne once again put the visitors ahead.

An Ollie Griffiths try allowed Dragons to equalise once again, but, despite a red card for Rodney Ah You, Ulster broke clear in the final minutes with a Paddy Jackson penalty and a try for John Andrew.

Fourth-place Ulster showed why they started the game 37 points ahead of their opponents in the Guinness PRO12 table as Gilroy went over in the seventh minute, nudging on and collecting a Ruan Pienaar kick for his 40th league try – the scrum-half adding the extras.

The visitors were not having it all their own way, though, and when Ulster were penalised for not rolling away on their own 22, Angus O’Brien knocked over the penalty on 12 minutes.

Dragons continued to press, but strong defence from Ulster prevented the home side getting any closer than five metres, and when the Welsh side were penalised in the opposition 22 it gave Ulster the opportunity they needed to clear their lines.

The defence had taken its toll though and Wiehahn Herbst was forced off with an injury, to be replaced by Ah You.

Dragons attacked again but when Pienaar broke clear from a scrum in his own 22 Ulster found themselves on the half way line and kicking into the home side’s territory after Dragons were penalised at the breakdown.

Neither side was able to get a stranglehold on the match, though, with an off-centre throw from Rob Herring giving Dragons the put in at the scrum and a chance of their own to attack.

But they could not take advantage and had Carl Meyer to thank for scrambling back into his own territory to collect a speculative kick from Payne, with Gilroy and Charles Piutau breathing down his neck.

Dragons were, however, penalised for holding on at the breakdown and while Meyer may have prevented a try, he conceded the penalty that allowed Pienaar to knock the Ulster score into double figures.

Meyer had the chance to make amends with the clock in the red, but pulled his long-distance penalty just wide to send his side into the break seven points down.

They soon wiped out the deficit, though, as Landman took full advantage of a yellow card for Gilroy by bundling over in the corner – O’Brien adding the extras.

The score sparked Les Kiss into action and the Ulster director of rugby soon introduced Ireland international Jackson to the fray at the expense of inside centre Darren Cave.

It seemed to have done the trick when, on the hour mark, a period of pressure led to Payne darting through a gap in the Dragons defence to put the visitors ahead– Pienaar again accurate from the tee.

But six minutes later things were all square again as the TMO ruled Griffiths had successfully grounded the ball after charging down Paul Marshall’s attempted box kick – O’Brien levelling the scores at 17 apiece.

Ulster hit back though, pushing for another try but settling for a penalty – successfully kicked by Jackson – after Dragons were penalised for holding on in the tackle.

But Ah You made life difficult for his side in the closing stages, as the replacement saw red for what the TMO judged to be a no-arm tackle making contact with the head of Meyer.

With Dragons hoping to capitalise on the card they gifted Ulster a chance to relieve pressure as the visitors kicked for the corner from a Dragons penalty.

And the decisive try came from the lineout drive with Andrew going over in the final two minutes – Jackson converting to give Ulster the ten-point victory.

Guinness PRO12 Final 2017, 27^th May, Aviva Stadium, Dublin.
Ticket Information: Fans can still avail of an exclusive number of €35 tickets. Book via www.ticketmaster.ie. Further information: www.pro12rugby.com/final