The result will be forgotten in a few weeks, the season overall has seen huge progress from Connacht’s young squad and they will rightly be commended for that but this game will serve as clear evidence to incoming coach Eric Elwood (not that he needed it) of some of the key problems that remain.

Ulster have finished ten points clear of Connacht. Bonus point wins at the Sportsground in September (Connacht’s worst display of the season) and Ravenhill on Friday were the difference. Outside of that, the sides were neck and neck throughout the season. A sobering thought.

This season we have seen Connacht make huge strides forward in dealing with games where expectation levels where high, home fixtures against Montpellier, Dragons, Worcester, Scarlets and Cardiff are prime examples of this but on the biggest Magners league days when Heineken Cup qualification was dependent on victories, they failed to spark. The home defeats to Ulster and a weakened Munster were prime examples.

Michael Bradley will be disappointed with this reality and he will no doubt be irked by Friday’s lackluster effort but he can leave Connacht rugby with his head held high thanks to a solid home record in domestic fare and a European run that saw this team capture the hearts and minds of sporting folk in the west of Ireland.

That surge is what will drive the province forward this summer, big home games with the likes of Saracens and Gloucester are rumored to be on the cards for pre season fare and with the bulk of the squad expected to be back in place with one year contracts for now. The opportunity for further progress is there.

At this point last year, the outlook wasn’t anywhere near as bright after a season of just eight victories from 25 games and a quarter final hammering at the hands of Northampton. Yet the seeds of progress were being laid and for Bradley, the Challenge Cup run this year must be vindication of sorts.

He will no doubt look back with regret on the Toulon game as an opportunity missed but overall the campaign will aide his search for coaching opportunities elsewhere.

Elwood inherits a young squad growing in stature but he must be concerned for a number of reasons, experienced cover is needed for the front row. A replacement for Geroge Naoupu who seems destined for a trip to Japan is badly required and box office signings like that are hard to nail down.

In the backline, another spark in the back three is surely on the wish list, more cover for the centre positions and another scrum half is also required with Kieran Campbell retiring. A total of 29 players have been re-signed which is more than ever before. That brings stability but the extra additions are needed to maintain progress.

For most of this season, the collective will and team spirit of the squad has been a notable plus point. Friday was an exception to this trend. Connacht started well with an Ian Keatley penalty but then drifted out of the contest and conceded two of the softest tries they have shipped all season to Simon Danielli and Ian Humphreys. Shabby defense was to blame.

There was still some fire in the gut as they managed to pick up the pace in search of a way back into the contest. Ronan Loughney’s (pic) first ever try for Connacht off a good lineout move brought Connacht within two once Ian Keatley had converted.

After half time, the opportunity to end a 50 year wait without a victory in Ravenhill seemed to energize the off-key visitors but only briefly. Ulster withstood the surge and scored a brilliant try made by man of the match Andrew Trimble and finished off by Andy Kyriacou and the Connacht heads went down.

Three more tries followed from Dan Touhy, Ian Whitten and Jamie Smith to add up to a scoreline that fully reflected the difference between the sides. Connacht have conceded an average of four tries a game away from home this season, a stat that can’t be ignored.

The away form is the obstacle that must be cleared if Connacht are to make the Heineken Cup. Starting in Ireland where they haven’t won in Dublin since 2002, in Munster since 1986 and Ulster since 1960. Overall in the Magners league, Connacht have won just once in their last 33 encounters away from Galway.

Scant resources and pressure to at least deliver at home make the task much harder and lets not forget that this year Connacht won in Worcester and Montpellier while the trips to Osprsys and Leinster since Christmas offered clear signs of progress in that department.

This game will rightly drift from the memory as the summer progresses because Connacht will be focusing on the positives but if you want early signs next September that the Magners League season could offer a change in fortunes, watch for the effort and results Connacht can conjure up on their travels. That could be the catalyst for more progress.

Ulster: J Smith; A Trimble, D Cave (T Nagusa 55), I Whitten, S Danielli; I Humphreys (N O’Connor 69), P Marshall (I Boss 51); T Court, R Best, (A Kyriacou 44 mins), BJ Botha (B Young 65); E O’Donoghue (N McComb 69), D Tuohy; TJ Anderson (A Birch 79), W Faloon, R Diack.

Connacht: G Duffy; B Tuohy, N Ta’auso (T Nathan 65), A Wynne, F Carr; I Keatley (M Nikora 51), F Murphy (C O’Loughlin 72); R Loughney (B Wilkinson 44), S Cronin (A Flavin 64), J Hagan; M McCarthy (P Browne 30), B Upton; J Muldoon), M McComish, G Naoupu.

Referee: D Philips (IRFU).