Man of the Match: Leicester's Toby Flood evades the Clermont defence during the clash at Welford Road © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

Matches: Leicester Tigers 20 - 15 Clermont Auvergne

Players/Officials: Toby Flood

Tournaments/Tours: Heineken Cup

Teams: Clermont Auvergne | England | France | Leicester Tigers

Leicester coach Matt O'Connor praised his side's battling display following their 20-15 Heineken Cup victory over Clermont Auvergne at Welford Road.

Tries from Anthony Allen and Scott Hamilton propelled the Tigers to a valuable Pool 3 win that keeps their European hopes alive but a gritty performance from their Top 14 rivals was rewarded with a crucial losing bonus point.

"I am pleased with the win but not with the fact that they leave with a bonus point from a game we largely dominated," said O'Connor, who once again took charge of the side in the absence of the banned Richard Cockerill. "It can be frustrating when one team is trying to be positive and the other negative.

"We didn't get the rub of the green with certain decisions, but the win keeps us in there fighting. I'm convinced one of us will go through as a successful runner-up, but it will go down to the wire. When Scott Hamilton scored his try, it was a relief all round and now we look forward to the last two rounds."

Clermont coach Vern Cotter admitted they were satisfied with the single point away from home. "We knew, above all, we had to come away with something from this game - and we have. This is a famous European venue, and it was every bit as good an atmosphere as we expected. I am proud of the way we hit back fast after falling eight points behind minutes from time and out of the losing bonus point zone."

Leicester need to win their two remaining games, possibly with bonus points, to have a chance of making the quarter-finals.

Man of the match Toby Flood said, "That late penalty they got was a harsh call just after we'd got ourselves eight points clear of them. But we have to be pleased with the win, and with avenging last weekend's hugely disappointing 40-30 defeat down there when we simply did not do ourselves justice. The pool is tight, and we have to make sure we the most from our two remaining games. It's still there for us."

It was Flood who started the scoreboard ticking over with a penalty in front of the posts after 14 minutes. Clermont equalised with a 20th minute drop-goal by Brock James - only for Flood to regain the lead inside two minutes with his second goal.

Another snap-pass from scrum-half Morgan Parra armed James who rifled over his second drop-goal to level the scores after 26 minutes. But Welford Road erupted on the half-hour as Leicester scored the first try. Louis Deacon soared to win a lineout, scrum-half Ben Youngs bemused the defence with a dazzling run before off-loading to Anthony Allen who completed the score, Flood converting.

James reduced the deficit with a penalty on the stroke of half-time, but for all their second-half pressure, Leicester could not add to their score before James completed his hat-trick of drop-goals. But nerves were calmed five minutes from time when Scott Hamilton grabbed a ball missed by James and galloped 60 yards to score on the right.

Flood's conversion opened up an eight-point gap only for referee Nigel Owens to award a harsh penalty 60 second later, banged over by James to pinch a bonus point.