Ospreys 16
Connacht 21
TRIES FROM MATT Healy and Bundee Aki saw Connacht register their first ever win at the Liberty Stadium.
Pat Lam’s side moved leapfrogged Munster and moved up to second place in the Pro12 table, level on points with leaders Scarlets.
Sam Davies and Jack Carty traded early penalties before Connacht lost Tiernan O’Halloran, captaining the province for the first time, to a suspected concussion just 13 minutes in.
Ospreys number eight Dan Baker crossed for the game’s opening try a minute later to give the hosts a 8-3 lead.
Ospreys lost centre Josh Matavesi to a yellow card and Connacht took full advantage, Carty kicking the resulting penalty before Kieran Marmion sent over Healy for a try on 27 minutes.
Connacht still held their 11-8 lead at the break and added a second try from a set piece three minutes after the restart when Craig Ronaldson offloaded to man of the match Aki to score.
Ronaldson added the extras to open up a 10-point lead, 18-8, but Ospreys kept in touch with another Davies penalty.
The Welsh side threatened a late comeback when the returning Justin Tipuric crossed in the corner, giving Davies the chance to equalise with the conversion, but the angle was too tight.
Ronaldson added a penalty three minutes from time to give Connacht some breathing room and some staunch defence repelled a late Ospreys surged and clinched a first away win over the Swansea side since 2004.
Ospreys: 15 Richard Fussell, 14 Tom Grabham, 13 Ben John, 12 Josh Matavesi, 11 Eli Walker, 10 Sam Davies, 9 Brendon Leonard; 1 Ryan Bevington, 2 Sam Parry, 3 Dmitri Arhip; 4 Lloyd Ashley (c), 5 Rory Thornton, 6 James King, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Dan Baker.
Replacements: 16 Scott Otten, 17 Paul James, 18 Aaron Jarvis, 19 Rynier Bernardo, 20 Joe Bearman, 21 Justin Tipuric, 22 Tom Habberfield, 23 Dan Evans.
Connacht: 15 Tiernan O’Halloran (c), 14 Darragh Leader, 13 Bundee Aki, 12 Craig Ronaldson, 11 Matt Healy, 10 Jack Carty, 9 Kieran Marmion; 1 Denis Buckley, 2 Shane Delahunt, 3 Rodney Ah You, 4 Quinn Roux, 5 Aly Muldowney, 6 Eoin McKeon, 7 Nepia Fox-Matamua, 8 Eoghan Masterson.
Replacements: 16 Dave Heffernan, 17 Conan O’Donnell, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 Ultan Dillane, 20 John Muldoon, 21 Ian Porter, 22 Rory Parata, 23 Niyi Adeolokun.
