At 3.55 p.m., peace and reconciliation broke out around Stradbrook Road. The home side had the look of a team set on anarchy. A siege that had lasted from the beginning of the game was showing precious little in return as Blackrock made heavy weather of Dungannon's failings in a match that could so easily have been wrapped up early on in the proceedings. The real concern was whether Blackrock would completely self-destruct.

Captain Hubi Kos finally settled the nervous twitch of the home support when out-half Owen Cobbe knifed towards the line and delivered to the Blackrock flanker.

At that stage, it was two minutes from full time and Blackrock had finally put safe distance between themselves and the Ulster visitors. Wild ideas were then hatched around the borough as they rocketed to seventh place on the table. Blackrock for the playoffs?

A number of things in a game of little quality. Alan McGowan, out of favour with George (Dr) Hook, came in for unavailable fullback Tom Keating and kicked his side out of trouble before Kos sealed it. Cobbe had had missed two easy ones in the first half after he and Andy Blair had exchanged penalties in the opening minutes. Blair then added another to give Dungannon a 3-6 lead at halftime.

"There is no champagne rugby under pressure," Hook said. "On balance, I wasn't too pleased. I thought we played badly. But we're a developing team.

"I said we were trying to avoid relegation and I haven't changed one iota," said Hook, before adding: "I'm particularly pleased for Alan, who was on the bench, and came in and did well."

Blackrock were lucky enough to be able to bring in two internationals, McGowan and prop Paul Flavin, and with Nicky Assaf coming on to the wing after half-an-hour and Barry Gibney making an appearance in the back row, Hook has a side in the making - if he can hold on to his players.

But Saturday's game largely surrendered to error, and although Blackrock came back after McGowan dived over in the right corner on 53 minutes, before kicking two more penalties and two conversions, it was ragged and nervous fare.

David Moore coming off the scrum at number eight worked well, but was entirely predictable, while the front row held their own without dominating. Cobbe provided the two try-scoring deliveries from out-half, while McGowan not only kicked well but was a calming enough presence.

Out-half Blair kicked smartly for Dungannon, but there was little imagination, while scrum-half Stephen Bell was typically busy but not threatening.

On this performance the Ulster side will struggle to hold on to their premier status.