Munster strengthened their grip on second place in Pro14 Conference B with an attritional win over 14-man Scarlets at a windy Thomond Park.

Sam Lousi's 34th minute red card was critical as Munster used the numerical advantage to win the forwards battle.

Jack O'Sullivan and Billy Holland scored tries before Javan Sebastian reduced Scarlets' deficit.

Gavin Coombes drove over twice in the last eight minutes to claim an impressive bonus point.

Scarlets, who finished the game with 13 men following Tevita Ratuva's 71st minute sin binning, held out on their own line for some time before Coombes claimed the extra point with the last play of the game.

The Welsh side remain third in Conference B, now eight points behind Munster with Edinburgh enjoying a healthy lead at the top.

Lousi red offers Munster upper hand

With the wind and the rain swirling through the Limerick stadium, the first half hour of the game suggested the winner would be decided by which team could keep their error count down.

It was 3-3 when lock Lousi engaged in a minor scuffle with Munster back row Chris Cloete, only for the situation to escalate with Lousi losing his cool and aiming two punches at Fineen Wycherley.

Munster wasted little time in establishing their dominance after the red card, with O'Sullivan scorig from close range just a minute after Lousi's dismissal.

Captain Holland made it a two score lead on 52 minutes when he spotted a yard of space on the short side.

However Scarlets to their credit fought back and bulldozed their way into Munster territory and kept their composure to work through the phases before Sebastian touched down to bring his side back into the game.

It looked like a tense finish was in store until Ratuva's yellow card added an extra strain onto an already beleaguered pack, with Coombes capitalising twice as Munster overpowered the depleted Scarlets forwards.

Munster: Haley; Nash, Farrell, Goggin, Sweetnam; Hanrahan, Casey; Cronin, O'Byrne, Archer, Wycherley, Holland (capt), Botha, Cloete, O'Sullivan.

Replacements: Barron, Loughman, Ryan, Coombes, Hodnett, McCarthy, Scannell, O'Donnell.

Scarlets: O'Brien; Baldwin, Asquith, Hughes (capt), S Evans; D Jones, J Evans; Price, T Davies, Kruger, Rawlins, Lousi, Shingler, Macleod, Cassiem.

Replacements: Phillips, D Evans, Sebastian, Ratuva, Cummins, D Davis, Blacker, Conbeer.

Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU)

Assistants: Sean Gallagher (IRFU) & Keith Allen (SRU)

TMO: Neil Patterson (SRU)