We knew it was tight, it’s just got eventrickierfor us, says Gibbes
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Gibbes added: “They got more and more attack at us, and we worked really hard on defence and you can’t question that.
“It was just the sheer amount of defence we had to do that gave them their chance and they were clinical enough to create that drop goal.”
With four of their six remaining fixtures away from home, Ulster are now up against it for the remainder of the year and will need to dramatically improve their road form if they are to get back in the quarter-final mix by the end of April.
“We’ve got ourselves in a position,” admitted Gibbes.
“We knew it was going to be tight anyway, even if the result had gone our way.
“Edinburgh have improved a hell of a lot and we’re going to keep fighting. We know the quality of Scarlets and Edinburgh ahead of us.
“It’s going to be really really tight and it’s just gotten a heck of a lot tighter for us.”
Further still than the devastating effect of the result on the table, Ulster are again sweating over injuries.
Having lost Charles Piutau, Sean Reidy and Rob Lyttle in the big win over Southern Kings a week ago, the province saw two players they could ill-afford to lose ship knocks last night in Craig Gilroy and Johnny McPhillips.
McPhillips, who had impressed since being handed the 10 jersey, being struck down leaves the side massively short of options at out-half.
“They’re significant enough,” confirmed Gibbes.
“We can’t afford to lose a 10, so who’s the guy who gets injured? The 10.
“That caused us a bit of a problem on organisation and, unfortunately, there was no lack of endeavour or effort, it just wasn’t clinical enough.
“We’ve pulled Pete Nelson out of the club game (for Ballynahinch) which is disappointing for him because he’s going into the Scarlets week without much rugby under his belt.” ULSTER: L Ludik, C Gilroy, L Marshall, S McCloskey, T Bowe; J McPhillips, J Cooney; A Warwick, R Herring, W Herbst; A O’Connor (capt), K Treadwell; M Rea, N Timoney, J Deysel
REPLACEMENTS: J Andrew (for Herring, 52), K McCall (for Warwick, 52), R Ah You (for Herbst, 52), M Dalton (for Treadwell, 66), C Henry (for Deysel, 54), J Stewart (for McPhillips, 34), D Cave, D Busby (for Gilroy, 6)
EDINBURGH: D Fife, J Harries, M Bennett, C Dean, D van der Merwe; J van der Walt, S Hidalgo-Clyne, J Lay, N Cochrane, M McCallum; F McKenzie (capt), L Carmichael; B Mata, J Hardie, C du Preez REPLACEMENTS: C Fenton (for Cochrane, 64), R Sutherland (for Lay, 52), E Millar Mills (for McCallum, 52), M Bradbury (for Du Preez, 59), L Crosbie (for Hardie, 52), N Fowles (for Hidalgo-Clyne, 64), D Weir (for van der Walt, 71), G Bryce
Referee: Nigel Owens
Man of the Match: Fraser McKenzie
IN a game they couldn’t afford to lose, Ulster were seconds from victory against Edinburgh but will end the weekend outside of the PRO14 play-off spots for the first time this season after Duncan Weir’s late heroics gave the Scottish side their first win in Belfast since 2009.
The hosts trailed for only two minutes in the game despite spending the entire second half on the back foot but managed to lose for the second time at Kingspan Stadium this season when Scottish international Weir, who had to be called back from Worcester Warriors to cover absences at No.10, knocked over a drop goal with the clock already red.
The result takes Edinburgh above Ulster by virtue of games won and the pressure is on the province to both get back into the play-off spots and indeed secure a place in next season’s Champions Cup.
With the two sides set to meet again later this season, this time in Scotland, it is assuredly advantage Edinburgh in that race.
The win was nothing less than the visitors deserved from the contest with Weir likely the most relieved man in the stadium after he was inches away from being the villain.
His kick to touch moments before his late game-winner almost stayed in play but Tommy Bowe misjudged the flight of the ball to give Edinburgh the lineout.
And while the game still needed to be won from there, with Ulster exhausted after their defensive effort, there was an air of inevitability about the ending.
While it seemed a long time ago by the 80th minute, Ulster had actually started the game better but were undone once again by injuries, this time to Craig Gilroy and Johnny McPhillips that required a backline reshuffle. Jono Gibbes’ men never looked as sure of themselves after losing their latest No.10.
The in-form Gilroy had to depart even earlier. The wing went on an early burst with just six minutes gone but it came at a cost for last week’s hat-trick hero who was hobbled by a rib injury and replaced by David Busby for his first appearance of the sea- son. After Charles Piutau and Rob Lyttle seven days prior, another back-three injury was the last thing Ulster needed.
Their strong start was at least rewarded before 10 minutes had elapsed when John Cooney went over and converted his own score after a nice interchange between Louis Ludik and Nick Timoney.
With McPhillips delighting in every opportunity to pin Edinburgh back into their own ‘22’, Ulster controlled proceedings throughout the first quarter with little hint of the defensive effort that would be required from here on out.
There were some unsettling moments when an erratic bounce saw Edinburgh catch Ulster on the hop and force an isolated McPhillips into conceding a penalty for holding on but, when the visitors went for the corner, a move designed to send Fijian flanker Viliame Mata over saw him bundled into touch.
With the same man inches away from a score only for a combination of Timoney and Rob Herring to jar the ball loose