Ospreys go top of Guinness PRO12 table with win at Edinburgh
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 03/03/17 10:53pm
Ospreys went top of the Guinness PRO12 table with a hard-fought 13-9 victory away to Edinburgh.
Josh Matavesi's try was the only highlight in a rain-soaked first half, which ended with Ospreys 10-3 ahead, before a further penalty after the break from the excellent Sam Davies extended the visitors' grip on match.
A pair of second-half penalties from Edinburgh's Duncan Weir brought the hosts to within four points, but they were unable to capitalise on excellent field position in the closing minutes and succumbed to their fifth consecutive league defeat.
To make matters worse for the hosts, Scotland international prop Alasdair Dickinson - making his first appearance since Boxing Day - was stretchered off after a suffering an injury in the second half.
Edinburgh showed the early impetus as Weir looked to exploit the Ospreys' flat defence with a number of deft chips while attacking the Welsh side's 22.
The Scotland fly-half then provided the game's first points of the evening as he slotted a tricky penalty in the driving rain.
The lead did not last long, however, as minutes later Sam Davies kicked a simple penalty of his own, following a high tackle in midfield.
Davies then turned provider as he sliced through Edinburgh's lumbering defence before his delightful reverse flick set up Matavesi for the game's only try.
With Davies chipping over the resulting conversion, Ospreys held a seven-point lead.
With the poor conditions acting as a leveller, the high-flying visitors struggled to convert their possession into any points, and they were nearly made to pay for their lack of potency following an Edinburgh line-out deep inside their 22.
Sam Hidalgo-Clyne gathered Neil Cochrane's throw and the ball was worked through the back-line to Damien Hoyland, who was held up just a metre short of the line.
Edinburgh enjoyed more possession at the start of the second half and looked to have drawn level when a high-powered line-out drive brought the hosts' pack within inches of the line, but a knock-on allowed the visitors to clear their lines.
Another Davies penalty extended the Ospreys' lead before a pair of Weir penalties brought the score to 13-9, setting up a grandstand finish.
Edinburgh had several opportunities to breach the Ospreys' frantic defence in the closing stages, but another knock-on allowed the visitors to escape with a hard-earned victory.
