Dragons secured a deserved losing bonus point with a dramatic late penalty try – but it was Ulster who secured a 49-26 victory in a physical encounter at Kingspan Stadium.
The Men of Gwent were again hit by injuries for the BKT United Rugby Championship clash in Belfast – with 20 players missing.
But a young side produced a display full of spirit and after scores from James Benjamin, Matthew Screech and Brodie Coghlan it was a last-minute penalty try that saw them rewarded with a point.
Loan signing Harry Taylor, wing Joe Westwood and Taine Basham all started the game as Dai Flanagan made seven changes to his starting line-up from the Glasgow defeat.
Ulster went on to the attack early on with clever grubber down the left nudged out by Dane Blacker to hand the hosts an attacking lineout.
The Dragons held firm and repelled a series of drives before Ulster unlocked the defence as a neat kick from Billy Burns sat up for Will Addison to dot down. Cooney added the extras.
Basham and Taylor carried strongly in response and then full back Ewan Rosser put boot to ball, but Mike Lowry was alert to mop up the danger and clear with Corey Baldwin lurking.
Rosser then showed his pace down the left to stretch Ulster before a penalty on the floor allowed Will Reed to kick deep into the home 22.
The lineout was secured by Dan Lydiate and the pack showed patience and power to drive up and over with Benjamin the man to score. Reed added the extras from out wide.
A scrum penalty gave Ulster a platform back into the visiting 22, but more good lineout defence stole ball before Steff Hughes carried strongly up the middle to break clear.
Ulster, though, struck for a second time when Addison broke a tackle and released David McCann, with the ball eventually finding livewire Lowry who tore down the right to score a converted score.
Newcomer Taylor was injured in the build-up and replaced by Langton-Cryer as his debut was cruelly cut short.
Repeatedly the hosts kicked for position and eventually the weight of possession told as lock Sheridan crashed over from close range.
The bonus arrived just after the half hour as Ulster bulldozed into contact before neat hands from Jude Postlethwaite sent Lowry over for his second and a 28-7 half-time lead.
Home pressure continued at the start of the second half with Flanagan’s men forced to defend resolutely, with Tom O’Toole losing control as he looked to barrel is way in.
A spell of sustained pressure from Dragons saw them threaten in attack and patience close to the line was rewarded, Screech the man to stretch over from close range.
Aki Seiuli, Luke Yendle and Gonzalo Bertranou were introduced before the hour and Dragons looked set for a third try as Reed broke from deep and found Baldwin, but he was dragged down by Lowry.
Ulster made the let-off pay as they went straight up fleld and kept the ball alive to put McCann over in the left corner for a converted try.
Brodie Coghlan was next off the bench and he immediately looked to marshal a driving lineout up close on two occasions as Ulster held firm.
The pressure, though, told as the forwards drove up and the hard-working Coghlan scored, after earlier surges from Seiuli, Yendle and Screech.
Home Number Eight Nick Timoney dived in for a sixth score and McCann grabbed his second as Ulster pulled further clear.
But the final word went to Dragons with a penalty try in the closing seconds, as a driving maul was illegally dragged down and Timoney was yellow carded.
Timeline:
05m Addison t Cooney c 7-0
12m Benjamin t Reed c 7-7
17m Lowry t Cooney c 14-7
30m Sheridan t Cooney c 21-7
34m Lowry t Cooney c 28-7
52m Screech t c 28-12
57m McCann t Cooney c 35-12
66m Coghlan t Reed c 35-19
72m Timoney t Cooney c 42-19
76m McCann t Cooney c 49-19
80m Penalty t 49-26
Ulster Rugby: Will Addison, Ethan McIlroy, James Hume, Jude Postlethwaite, Mike Lowry, Billy Burns, John Cooney; Steven Kitshoff, Tom Stewart, Tom O’Toole, Cormac Izuchukwu, Harry Sheridan, David McCann, Marcus Rea, Nick Timoney
Replacements: John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Scott Wilson, Kieran Treadwell, Sean Reffell, Nathan Doak, Luke Marshall, Jacob Stockdale
Dragons RFC: Ewan Rosser, Joe Westwood (Anderson 70), Steff Hughes, Aneurin Owen (Ackerman 47), Corey Baldwin, Will Reed, Dane Blacker (Bertranou 53); Rodrigo Martinez (Seiuli 53), James Benjamin (Coghlan 59), Chris Coleman (Yendle 53), Sean Lonsdale, Matthew Screech, Dan Lydiate, Harry Taylor (Langton-Cryer 20 (Nott 68)), Taine Basham
Replacements: Brodie Coghlan, Aki Seiuli, Luke Yendle, Barny Langton-Cryer, George Nott, Gonzalo Bertranou, Harri Ackerman, Huw Anderson
Referee: Ian Kenny
Attendance: 12,565
