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Kieron Fonotia's try put the hosts' 22-7 ahead at the break

Guinness Pro14: Scarlets v Ulster Scarlets (22) 29 Tries: Kruger, Hardy, Fonotia, Prydie Cons: D Jones Pens: D Jones Ulster (7) 12 Tries: Shanahan, Stuart Cons: Burns Pens:

Scarlets battled to a bonus-point win over gutsy Ulster to rise above their opponents into second spot in Pro14 Conference B.

David Shanahan's early try and Billy Burns' conversion gave the visitors an early lead.

But four tries without reply from Werner Kruger, Kieran Hardy, Kieron Fonotia and Tom Prydie underlined Scarlets' superiority.

Ulster rallied through Jonny Stuart, but it was too little, too late.

The two teams were affected by the absence of international players with Scarlets also without injured Wales prop Samson Lee and uncapped Scotland hopeful Blake Thomson.

However, Scarlets had Wales wing Prydie fit again after a shoulder injury and Ulster centre Louis Ludik made his first appearance of the season, having recovered from a hamstring injury suffered in May.

Ludik had a hand in the opening try, helping make the space for Henry Speight to send scrum-half Shanahan over with a neat inside pass and Burns converted.

But from that 15th-minute try onwards, only the other side of the scoreboard was amended until replacement Ulster half-back Jonny Stewart crossed in the final quarter.

Jones' penalty got the hosts' off the mark and prop Kruger emerged from the bottom of a pile of forward having put Wayne Pivac's side into a lead they were not to surrender.

Jones converted and did the same after home scrum-half Hardy raced clear.

Fonotia scored the try of the night as he profited from outstanding number eight Uzair Cassiem's dynamic ball-carrying to go over.

Ulster's resolute resistance was again broken when Prydie squeezed in at the right corner for the bonus-point try.

Replacement Stuart gave his side a boost as he went over unopposed, but despite their best efforts the visitors made no further inroads.

Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac said: "Job done, really. We knew that today was a big game in the context of our conference.

"If we didn't get the result, Ulster would have had a buffer on us and there could have been a chance by the end of the weekend we could have been out of the top three.#

"So there was a lot to play for. It was certainly what we asked for."

Scarlets: McNicholl; Prydie, Fonotia, Asquith Nicholas; D Jones, Hardy; Price, M Jones, Kruger, Cummins, Bulbring, Kennedy, Boyde (capt), Cassiem.

Replacements: Hughes, D Evans, Gardiner, Rawlins, D Davis, Hidalgo-Clyne, Blommetjies, M Williams.

Ulster: Lowry; Baloucoune, Ludik, Hume, Speight; Burns, Shanahan; O'Sullivan, McBurney, Moore, O'Connor (captain), Treadwell, Coetzee, Reidy, Timoney.

Replacements: Andrew, Warwick, O'Toole, Nagle, G Jones, Stewart, Cave, A Kernohan.

Referee: Quinton Immelman (SARU)

Assistant Referees: Gwyn Morris (WRU), Aled Evans (WRU)

TMO: Tim Hayes (WRU).