Magner's League - Ospreys 19 Connacht 17:A LOSING bonus point was scant consolation for Connacht at the Liberty Stadium as an inability to convert try-scoring chances in the opening half proved costly.

An excellent try from Seán Cronin hauled Connacht back into contention in the final quarter after they looked set to leave empty-handed when they trailed 19-6 after 49 minutes.

But Connacht would have won had they converted three gilt-edged chances in the opening half.

Connacht trailed 11-6 at the break. They had got on top in the second quarter after early dominance from Ospreys, who are now top of the Magners League.

The early pressure yielded a penalty for Dan Biggar after he had been off target with a drop goal.

Ian Keatley put Cronin away for what should have been the opening try after 13 minutes but he was nabbed short of the line.

Keatley levelled the match with a penalty from the left a minute later, but on 18 minutes Ospreys fullback Gareth Owen broke from inside halfway and skirted around the cover to score down the left.

Ten minutes later scrumhalf Conor O’Loughlin made a superb break after a lineout off the top, but he was tap-tackled just short.

Keatley and Biggar exchanged penalties just before the break and hopes of a Connacht victory for the first time in five visits to the Liberty Stadium were high despite the five-point interval deficit.

But that changed directly after the restart as Biggar landed a penalty and then man-of-the-match Owen created the opening down the left before setting up Biggar with a superb reverse pass to send the outhalf over in the left corner.

Connacht hit back and O’Loughlin and Keatley combined before Cronin crashed through Jerry Collins for an excellent try after 57 minutes.

Keatley reduced the deficit to 19-14 with 18 minutes left, then to just two with five minutes remaining from 45 metres.

OSPREYS:G Owen; J Vaughton, S Parker, A Beck, N Walker; D Biggar, J Nutbrown; R Bevington, R Hibbard, C Mitchell; I Gough, I Evans; T Smith, M Holah, F Tiatia. Replacements:J Collins for Smith (18 mins); M Phillips for Nutbrown (h-t); C Griffiths for Mitchell (66 mins); A Lloyd for Gough (75 mins); Mitchell for Bevington (78 mins).

CONNACHT:G Duffy; T Nathan, N Ta'auso, K Matthews, F Carr; I Keatley, C O'Loughlin; B Wilkinson, S Cronin, R Morris; M Swift, B Upton; J Muldoon, R Ofisa, G Naoupu. Replacements:A Wynne for Ta'auso (25 mins); J Hagan for Morris, M McCarthy for Upton (both h-t); F Murphy for O'Loughlin, (60 mins).

Referee:N Paterson (Scotland).