Cardiff 21 Ulster 33
Ulster kept their Heineken Cup hopes alive but were made to work hard for victory against a gritty Cardiff side this afternoon.
The Welshmen were under the cosh from the opening exchanges with Ulster out-half David Humphreys kicking one penalty and missing another before converting a try by flanker Neil McMillen following a drive from a line-out.
Cardiff made a rare visit to the Ulster 22 and managed to create an overlap on the right for Nick Walne to dot the ball down. Nicky Robinson struck a post with the conversion attempt.
Ulster hit back immediately, McMillen brushing aside Emyr Lewis' tackle to claim his second touchdown and that was followed by a penalty try when a Cardiff boot kicked the ball out of the back row as the visiting pack were driving over. Humphreys improved both.
Some uncharacteristically slack defence in Ulster's midfield allowed centre Matt Allen to sprint to the posts and Robinson's conversion kept Cardiff in touch at the interval.
The young out-half slotted over two penalties to cut the gap further, but he was short with another, and opposite number Humphreys put over a kick of his own to steady Irish nerves.
Ulster lost South African prop Robbie Kempson to the sin-bin for a high tackle on Allen and Robinson punished him a second time by kicking the penalty.
But Robinson was then caught in possession in his own 22, conceding a penalty which Humphreys kicked, and full-back Bryn Cunningham rounded things off for Ulster with a 40-yard drop goal.