Ulster climbed above Munster into fourth place in the Guinness PRO12 table after defeating leaders Connacht 18-10 on Friday night.The hosts took control of the contest in the first half, as two penalties from Paddy Jackson and a try from Ireland hooker Rory Best gave them a comfortable lead.Connacht rallied and despite hitting the upright with his first penalty attempt, Shane OLeary sent one between the posts in added time in the opening period to reduce the interval deficit to 11-3. Ulster regained control soon after the restart, though, as winger Craig Gilroys try was converted by Jackson.Connacht refused to buckle and scored their only try of the night through replacement Coalin Blade on 54 minutes, with OLeary duly adding the extras.That proved to be the final score of the night with Ulster remaining top of the pile, a situation that could change if Leinster defeat Munster in a game which can be seen live on Sky Sports.Ulster got things going on the scoreboard when Jackson kicked a fifth-minute penalty after Connacht hooker Tom McCartney was penalised for coming in from the side.Gilroy then picked off a loose pass from Bundee Aki and with the visitors trying to run the ball out of their own 22, Ulster won a penalty at the breakdown which Jackson slotted over.The hosts had to work hard to deny Connacht after several dangerous sorties near their line before they began to cause problems of their own again.A penalty given away by Connacht back-row John Muldoon saw Jackson put the ball in the corner and from Franco van der Merwes take, the home side mauled their way over with Best claiming the touchdown, but Jackson failed to convert as his kick hit the post.OLeary also found the upright with a 39th-minute penalty from an Ulster scrum but the fly-half made no mistake with his next shot to close the home sides lead to eight points at the break. Skipper Rory Best scored Ulsters opening try Gilroy was on hand to extend Ulsters lead in the second half, however, with the winger keeping an OLeary touch-finder off a penalty in play.Peter Browne took control and then Jacksons pass to Payne led to the full-back off-loading to put Gilroy in at the corner.Jackson converted to put the home side 18-3 in front but then had Andrew Trimble yellow-carded for an intentional knock-on.Connacht, now releasing their bench, then worked substitute Blade over for a well-worked score with the scrum-half scoring off his first touch courtesy of Eoin McKeon and Muldoon.OLearys conversion narrowed it to 18-10 just before Trimble came back. Sky Live: Leinster v Munster Johnny Sexton and Conor Murray will be on opposing sides when Leinster face Munster Ulster looked to kill the game off and after being encamped in Connachts 22, Best was held up over the line in the 65th minute before departing for treatment having clashed heads with Matt Healy.OLeary was subsequently shown yellow for a high tackle on Gilroy 10 minutes from time and was quickly followed by substitute flanker Sean OBrien for interfering with a pass two minutes later.But despite being reduced to 13 men, Connacht resisted Ulsters surges towards their line as the clock ticked down.Watch Leinster v Munster on Saturday. Coverage begins on Sky Sports 3 HD at 5pm. Clearance Steph Curry Shoes . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. Steph Curry Shoes Outlet . 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Steph Curry Shoes Deals . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars.MOSCOW -- Maria Sharapovas ban for taking the banned substance meldonium has been reduced from two years to 15 months.Although the drug led to a spate of positive tests from dozens of athletes, mostly in Eastern Europe, when it was banned for 2016, Sharapova is the only athlete serving a ban.Here are some of the key issues surrounding meldonium:---Q: What is meldonium?A: A Latvian-made drug available over the counter in Russia and other Eastern European and ex-Soviet countries, often without a prescription. The drugs manufacturer, Grindeks, says it is mostly aimed at people with heart conditions, though it can also be used for physical and psycho-emotional overload in otherwise healthy people. Meldoniums inventor, chemist Ivars Kalvins, has said it was given to Soviet soldiers fighting in Afghanistan to boost their stamina. However, Grindeks and Kalvins argue it shouldnt be banned in sports, with the manufacturer saying that it cannot improve athletic performance, but it can stop tissue damage during intense exercise. Sharapova said she took meldonium for a decade for reasons including a magnesium deficiency, family history of diabetes and dizziness. Meldonium is usually known by the brand name mildronate, though other names have been used.---Q: How was it banned?A: The World Anti-Doping Agency said in September 2015 that meldonium would be banned as of Jan. 1, 2016, and published information on its website. A study conducted at the European Games in June 2015 and later published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine found 66 of 762 athletes taking meldonium, which the authors called excessive and inappropriate use ... in a generally heathy athlete poppulation.dddddddddddd After WADAs announcement, the International Tennis Federation notified players of changes to the list of banned substances by e-mail and using a wallet card distributed at tournaments, though CAS ruled Tuesday that this was inadequate. Sharapova tested positive at the Australian Open in January and said she was not aware meldonium had been banned.---Q: Who else tested positive?A: After meldonium was banned, there were more than 170 failed tests by athletes, almost all from Eastern European countries, including Olympic medalists in sports ranging from figure skating to wrestling. Heavyweight boxer Alexander Povetkin of Russia saw his world title challenge called off after a failed test for meldonium.---Q: What happened to athletes who tested positive?A: Almost all of the cases were dropped when athletes insisted they had stopped taking meldonium in 2015, before it was banned. The usually low concentrations of the drug in their samples backed up that argument, and WADA accepted findings of no fault or negligence in those cases. WADA also admitted it hadnt known enough about how long it took meldonium to leave an athletes system. Sharapovas case was not dropped because she had continued taking meldonium after it was banned and the concentration in her sample was comparatively high.---Q: What next?A: WADA confirmed last week that meldonium remains on the banned list for 2017. WADAs grace period for athletes who tested positive for low doses expired Friday, so any amount of the drug now triggers a positive test. ' ' '