Ulster fly-half David Humphreys shattered the Heineken Cup points scoring record at Ravenhill tonight to leave Wasps on the brink of an early exit after a 42-19 defeat.

Humphreys scored 37 points, a late Tyrone Howe touchdown the only other Ulsterman to inscribe his name on the scoresheet, four drop goals also setting another competition best.

Wasps had led at the break, grabbing the opening score when prop Will Green was driven over from a close range line-out.

But Kenny Logan's poor goalkicking had already undermined the visitors' challenge and after the interval Humphreys simply took control.

He finished with six penalties, four drop goals and a conversion to his own try after he had charged down Alex King's attempted kick over the top.

It was Ulster's second successive victory following their narrow success in Treviso last week - their first ever against English opposition in the Heineken Cup - but left Wasps desperately hoping for a series of unlikely results to go in their favour to have any chance of reaching the knock-out stages.

Logan's night started badly when he struck a post with a simple penalty opportunity in the opening minute.

The rebound dropped enticingly back to the Scotland winger but he could only knock on, allowing the home side to clear their lines.

He made amends for his error by banging over his second chance in the 12th minute but Humphreys quickly levelled when the Wasps defence drifted offside under their own posts.

Logan added the conversion to Green's try and Wasps could have gone even further in front but Rory Jenkins was denied when he was shoulder-charged off the ball by Neil Doak as he chased his own kick over the Ulster line.

Logan wasted a chance to extend Wasps' lead when he drifted a penalty attempt wide of the uprights, although he atoned for his error within a minute.

However, Humphreys replied with the last kick of the half to keep Ulster in touch at the interval and then belted over a long-range penalty within 90 seconds of the restart to reduce the arrears to four points.

Humphreys was by now unstoppable and booted his team in front for the first time after adding another two penalties and his first drop-goal to his earlier efforts.

Wasps lost possession at their own scrum shortly afterwards and Josh Lewsey was penalised for holding on as he tried to sweep up, leaving Humphreys with yet another easy opportunity to land his fourth kick.

Another Logan mistake gave Ulster the field position from which Humphreys sent another drop goal spinning through the posts and the Irish international was on target again moments later.

Logan replied to keep Wasps in with an outside chance of victory but Humphreys converted his own try to give Ulster an unassailable advantage.

Darren Molloy and Andy Ward were sin-binned as tempers began to fray but after Humphreys struck his fourth drop goal, Tyrone Howe flew in at the corner.

Humphreys missed the touchline conversion but as the whistle blew the smile on his face indicated it did not really matter.