Edinburgh Rugby, beginning life at their new home ground started well and were rewarded with an early penalty following a period of sustained pressure. Stand off Chris Paterson stepping up to slot the easy chance.
From the restart Ulster replied on their first attack of the match with Paul Steinmetz landing snap drop goal from 20 metres to bring the Ulstermen level.
In the 13th minute another penalty given when loosehead prop Ronan McCormack came in from the side at a ruck. Paterson landed a superb goal from wide on the right and repeated the dose from 30 metres four minutes later when Ulster infringed once more with Neil Best killing the ball on the floor.
The game's opening try came at the end of the first quarter when Ulster out half Paddy Wallace threaded through a lovely little grubber kick using Murrayfield's vast in goal areas to advantage for left wing Andy Maxwell to drop on and grab a debut try. Wallace missed the difficult conversion, which would have taken Ulster into the lead for the first time.
Neil Best was sinbinned in the 24th minute when he was spotted taking the law into his own hands punching an opponent at a scrum. Paterson was unable to convert the resulting penalty inexplicably missing from right in front of the posts. Ulster to their credit kept the home side scoreless whilst Best was off the park and in fact had the better of the attacking play.
On the cusp of the half-time whistle Tommy Bowe should have added five more points after doing all the hard work but dropping the ball in trying to dot it down. Shortly after the sides adjourned to the dressing rooms with the Scots holding a narrow 9-8 lead.
Edinburgh Rugby made the perfect start to the second period with a nice move from half way saw Todd Blackadder involved twice before he run in the score after a impressive "give and go" with fellow back rower Ali Hogg. Paterson added the extras and there was daylight between the teams for the first time at 16-8.
The lead was pegged back in the 48th minute with a Wallace penalty given for Hogg not staying on his feet at the breakdown.
Ulster pressure told in the 64th minute when Dougie Hall strayed offside and Wallace again made the Scotsmen pay to take Ulster to within two.
The Northern Irishmen turned the screw and finished the stronger with the outstanding Wallace coolly dropped Ulster's second goal of the afternoon from 30 metres with just three minutes of normal time left to take his side into the lead for the first time.
