Match Centre: Ulster 22-11 Sale Sharks

Ulster 22-11 Sale Sharks, Kingspan Stadium

Rob Herring and Duane Vermeulen scored tries in the final quarter as Ulster went on to defeat Sale Sharks 22-11 in the fourth round of the Heineken Champions Cup at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday.

Ulster now finished eighth in Pool B as they qualified to the round of 16 while Sale Sharks are out of the competition after managing just one win from four matches.

Sale got off to a promising start as Rob du Preez kicked a penalty goal in the third minute but 14 minutes later they were down to 14 players temporarily with Bevan Rodd sin-binned for an infringement.

With the numerical advantage on their side, Ulster scored their opening try with Rob Lyttle touching down after cynical move before du Preez and Nathan Doak exchanged penalties as the teams completed the opening half with a 8-6 scoreline.

The start of the second half saw Doak yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on before Sale hooker Ewan Ashman and flanker Curry combined brilliantly down the blindside to send the latter over in the corner making it 8-11.

Just as Noak returned from sin bin, Ulster seized control with Herring peeled off a maul and powered over the line and Cooney's conversion put them four point head. Any chance of a Sale comeback was put off with Jono Ross going to the sin bin and Ulster No.8 Vermeulen burrowed over to complete a 11-point victory.

Team line up:

Ulster: Lowry; Lyttle, Hume, McCloskey, Stockdale; Burns, Doak; Warwick, Stewart, Toomaga-Allen; O'Connor (capt), Carter; Sheridan, Timoney, Vermeulen.

Reserves: Herring, O'Sullivan, O'Toole, Treadwell, Murphy, Cooney, Madigan Moxham.

Sale: Carpenter; O'Flaherty, S James, Tuilagi, Reed; R Du Preez, Warr; Rodd, Ashman, Harper; Beaumont, Hill; Ross, B Curry (capt), JL Du Preez

Reserves: Taylor, Harrison, Jones, Birch, Dugdale, Quirke, Curtis, Roebuck.