Richie Murphy’s side had to play for 50 minutes with fourteen men, after prop Tom O’Toole’s red card in the first half and looked to have snapped their four-game losing streak as James McNabney bagged a try on 76 minutes but had to settle for a losing bonus point as Munster centre Tom Farrell crossed in the final minute.
Ulster took just eight minutes to break the deadlock as O’Toole barged over from close range.
The home side kicked a penalty to the corner, with the forwards driving for the line, and Munster stopped it illegally.
Ulster opted for a tap penalty, the visitors again infringed on their own line, from the third penalty after one phase the Irish front rower proved to powerful and grounded the ball, with John Cooney slotting over the conversion from in front of the posts.
Ulster were denied a second try on 21 minutes, from a driving maul off the lineout, Mike Lowry went on a mazy cross field run, however he was stopped five metres from the line. The forwards worked the ball through multiple phases in the Munster 22 but infringed at the breakdown conceding a penalty and allowing Jack Crowley to clear his lines.
Ulster were forced into a change on 25 minutes as Rory Telfer replaced Zac Ward.
Munster opened their account three minutes later with their first attack into the Ulster 22.
From a kick by Aidan Morgan behind his own try line, Munster launched a quick counterattack, the ball was moved through the hands from east to west with Farrell sliding over in the corner, but Crowley failed to convert.
Ulster were reduced to 14 men on 31 minutes as try scorer O’Toole was given a straight red card for an illegal clear out at the ruck on Munster centre Alex Nankivell.
Ulster suffered more disruption to their back line just before the break as Irish centre Stuart McCloskey had to leave the field allowing Academy fly-half, Jack Murphy, to make his debut.
Ulster went into the interval with a slender 7-5 lead.
HT: 7-5
Munster centre, Farrell, crossed for his second try on 52 minutes.
Crowley put in a chip kick to Mike Haley, he flipped the ball inside to Farrell and the centre exchanged passes with Calvin Nash before sprinting over unopposed. Crowley couldn’t bring the conversion around enough.
The TMO denied Ulster a try on 57 minutes, after the forwards drove over from the lineout, but it was adjudged that the Munster defence stopped the grounding.
After conceding a number of penalties in their own 22, Munster replacement, Rory Scannell, was sin binned on 60 minutes.
Ulster finally turned their possession and territorial dominance into points on 65 minutes with a try from replacement Harry Sheridan.
From a lineout the forwards set up a driving maul Munster initially stopped, but Sheridan picked up from the ruck and powered over, Cooney’s conversion however, struck the upright.
Ulster’s lead was short lived, as Munster moved the ball quickly through the hands and winger Shane Daly went over in the corner. Crowley was off target with the attempted conversion.
Ulster struck with four minutes remaining as flanker, James McNabney, burrowed over following a series of pick and goes on the Munster line by the forwards. Cooney added the conversion for the slender lead.
However, Farrell won the game for Munster with his third try in the final minute, as the Thomond Park side produced a slick handling and the centre darted over from close range to seal his side’s bonus point.
Crowley's conversion brought the final whistle.
Ulster will now pick themselves up for a Round 9 clash against Connacht at Dexcom Stadium, hoping to end a run of successive defeats in the competition.
Scorers
Ulster:
TRY: Tom O’Toole, Harry Sheridan, James McNabney
CON: John Cooney x2
Munster:
TRY: Tom Farrell x 3, Shane Daly
CON: Jack Crowley
Teams
Ulster:
(15-9) M Lowry; W Kok, J Postlethwaite, S McCloskey, Z Ward; A Morgan, J Cooney;
(1-8) A Warwick, R Herring, T O’Toole; A O’Connor, K Treadwell; J McNabney, Marcus Rea, D McCann.
Replacements:
J Andrew for Herring 55 mins, E O’Sullivan for Warwick 62 mins, S Wilson for Telfer, H Sheridan for Treadwell 60 mins, Matty Rea, D Shanahan, J Murphy for McCloskey 38 mins, R Telfer for Ward 25 mins
Munster:
(15-9)M Haley; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, S Daly; J Crowley, P Patterson;
(1-8) J Ryan, N Scannell, S Archer; T Ahern, F Wycherley; J O'Donoghue, J Hodnett, G Coombes.
Replacements:
E Clarke, D Kilcoyne for Ryan 49 mins, O Jager for Archer 49 mins, E O’Connell foe O’Donoghue 49 mins, A Kendellen for Hodnett 55 mins, E Coughlan for Patterson 66mins , R Scannell for Nankivell 32 mins, B Gleeson for Wycherley 60 mins
Ref: B Whitehouse (Wales)