Magners League/Munster 25 Ospreys 20:Munster ended a run of three successive defeats in the Magners League as their second-string side dug deep to deny the Ospreys at Thomond Park.
Minus their international contingent, Declan Kidney's men saw off the Welsh visitors with young New Zealand-bo fly-half Jeremy Manning kicking 15 points.
The 21-year-old helped Munster into an early 15-0 lead and converted number eight James Coughlan's try before the break.
However, the Ospreys pack got on top for the early part of the second half and Shaun Connor kicked his side to a deserved bonus point.
Munster came into the game having lost five of their last six fixtures against Welsh opposition.
They were lifeless in Llanelli a fortnight ago, but with Manning and Tomas O'Leary pulling the strings at half-back, they managed to boss the first quarter.
Manning cracked over three penalties inside the first 20 minutes, with his second strike from just inside the Ospreys half.
Connor missed a lengthy effort in reply and with possession hard to come by, Justin Marshall cut a frustrated figure.
Gradually though, the former All Black began to wield some influence. A smash-and-grab drop goal worked a treat for Manning, who added his fourth penalty on 27 minutes to put the hosts convincingly clear.
Then Marshall made his mark. The 33-year-old scrum-half took a quick tap and scattered the Munster defence and offloaded to his countryman Jason Spice, who lined out at inside centre, to send Connor scurrying over for a well-worked try.
Connor converted, yet Munster ended the half armed with a 22-7 advantage. Just into injury-time, Coughlan plunged over on the end of a five-metre scrum for his first provincial try.
The Ospreys got back within range just five minutes into the second half. A sweet inside pass from Tal Selley sent winger Jonny Vaughton darting through for his first try of the league campaign.
Yellow cards for Spice and Federico Pucciariello — the Munster prop was left bloodied after a clash with Brent Cockbain — disrupted the pattern of the game, but Manning cooled matters with his fifth penalty.
The final quarter saw Connor kick two more penalties but they were not enough to prevent a nervy Munster holding on for their third win in seven league meetings with the Welsh region.
