Connacht 24
Neath-Swansea Ospreys 20

On an evening when conditions were perfect for open, enterprising rugby, Connacht finished an otherwise disappointing Magners' League season on a high with a 24-20 win over the Neath-Swansea Ospreys at the Sportsground on Friday.

Ospreys coach Lyn Jones played something of a second string XV, and indeed handed a wing berth to the Magners' League's youngest ever starter, Kristian Philips, at 17 years and 250 days old.

And the series of unforced errors that marred much of the opening quarter suggested the minds of the players were already in off-season mode.

It was the home side who made the breakthrough on 18 minutes. Captain Andrew Farley was the unlikely creator when he shot out of his defensive line to pick off a Connor pass, before galloping free and off-loading to wing Ofisa Treviranus, who touched down. Andy Dunne nailed the conversion to give his side a 7-0 advantage.

The Ospreys had plenty of possession but could not break down the stiff Connacht rear-guard and Dunne then strengthened the homeside's position with a penalty before the break.

A Keith Matthews try just five minutes into the second half extended Connacht's lead. A speculative cross-kick from Dunne bounced favourably for Gavin Duffy, who passed inside to Matthews who scorched in.

Dunne's conversion and a Shaun Connor penalty brought the score onto 17-3, before the match became scrappy, with referee Neil Paterson producing his cards.

First to walk was Holah, who was dispatched to the sin-bin for playing on the ground. Then home scrum-half Conor McPhillips was shown red for lashing out at one of the Ospreys forwards and when Brett Wilkinson joined McPhillips for a ten-minute break, suddenly the Ospreys' tails were up.