Connacht clinch victory with late try after Cardiff fight back from 19-0 down

Dylan Tierney-Martin scored a match-winning try in the 75th minute as Connacht recovered from blowing a 19-0 lead to beat Matt Sherratt’s Cardiff 24-19 in the United Rugby Championship.

Connacht had the backing of a strong wind during the first half and took a 14-0 lead with Ben Murphy and Shamus Hurley-Langton both scoring tries.

Dave Heffernan added a third early in the second half but Cardiff, in Sheratt’s last game in charge before linking up with Wales for the rest of the Six Nations, hit back with tries from Rey Lee-Lo and replacements Ben Donnell and Callum Braley.

Bonus point

But Connacht replacement Tierney-Martin went over from a maul to clinch the hosts their first victory in five URC games as well as a bonus point.

Connacht hit the front when Murphy finished off from a neat break and offload by his half-back partner Josh Ioane.

Hurley-Langton duly crashed over for a second seven-pointer, but Connacht did leave points behind them – a Murphy try was ruled out for a knock-on from Ioane, who also missed a penalty.

Connacht extended their lead on the resumption with a well-taken maul score from hooker Heffernan.

Cardiff replacement Jacob Beetham and Cameron Winnett both went close to scoring in response, the latter denied by a foot in touch.

Persistence

The visitors’ persistence paid off in the 52nd minute when Lee-Lo powered over for Callum Sheedy to convert.

And the score was 19-12 in the 63rd minute when Donnell got the ball down in the left corner via Rory Jennings’ inviting skip pass.

Maintaining the momentum, a free-flowing attack off a scrum almost saw Johan Mulder score before Cardiff debutant Braley sniped over from a ruck.

Sheedy curled over the levelling conversion with 10 minutes left to play.

But Connacht settled themselves and drove Tierney-Martin over in the 75th minute to claim victory.