Connacht hold off Ulster to reach URC last four

Jack Carty kicked all of Connacht's points

Five Jack Carty penalties sent Connacht through to the United Rugby Championship semi-finals with a 15-10 win over a sloppy Ulster in Belfast.

A John Cooney penalty opened the scoring for the hosts before four strikes from Carty.

O'Connor's try made it 12-10 before a late Carty penalty sealed victory.

Andy Friend's side, who finished seventh in the URC table after a poor start to the season, will travel to either the Stormers or Bulls, who face each other on Saturday, in the semi-finals.

Friday night's victory also extends Friend's tenure as head of rugby in Galway, with the Australian native having announced in November that he would step away from his position at the end of this season.

For Ulster, meanwhile, it is the end of a season that supporters were beginning to hope would deliver a first piece of silverware since they won the Celtic League title in 2006.

A victory over a Connacht at the Kingspan would have set up another home semi-final after they finished second in the URC table, 18 points ahead of their victors.

The defeat came a day after the province announced that 10 players - including Rory Sutherland, Jeff-Toomaga-Allen and Duane Vermeulen who all started against Connacht - would be leaving their squad.

Ulster: Lowry; Baloucoune, Hume, McCloskey, Stockdale; Burns, Cooney; Sutherland, Herring, Toomaga-Allen; O'Connor (capt), Treadwell; McCann, Timoney, Vermeulen.

Replacements: Stewart, O'Sullivan, Milasinovich, Carter, Murphy, Doak, Moore, Gilroy.

Connacht: O'Halloran; Porch, Farrell, Aki, Hansen; Carty, Blade; Buckley, Heffernan, Bealham; Murphy, Murray; Hurley-Langton, Oliver, Prendergast.

Replacements: Tierney-Martin, Duggan, Aungier, Dowling, Butler, Marmion, Daly, Ralston.

More to follow.