Punished in the first half, the Welsh region fought back in the second but just couldn’t find a way through at the very end.
The visitors had all the possession early on and took the lead as Ian Humphreys kicked them ahead with a penalty in the third minutes.
The Dragons found it hard to build any possession and the simplest of training park moves saw Ulster centre Nevin Spence slice through the hosts defence and then round the covering defence to score in the corner for the game’s opening try.
It took a while for the Dragons to find a foothold but once they did their attack looked sharp. Jason Tovey left the field with a blood injury and in his time away replacement fly-half Matthew Jones kicked the Dragons’ first points of the evening with a penalty after Ulster strayed offside.
Ulster’s reply was virtually immediate though, with Spence grabbing his second of the evening. Aled Brew looked to have saved the day for the Dragons with a great cover tackle on full-back Adam D’Arcy right on the line but somehow D’Arcy flung the ball back infield and Spence found himself gifted with the easiest of tries. From virtually the same position Humphreys once again couldn’t add the extras.
Tovey returned and kicked a second penalty for the Dragons but Pedrie Wanneburg’s try just before the break looked to be the killer blow as the visitors went into the break 20 v 6 ahead.
It was the Dragons who kept the ball well at the start of the second period as they starved Ulster of possession and a try from Tom Reily brought them right back into game.
The hosts continued to control the fixture but just couldn’t find another way through.
