When Munster look back on this 19-13 loss to Ospreys they’ll probably recognise that the loss to injury of Doug Howlett was much more significant than the three points they left behind at the Liberty Stadium.

Besides scoring his side's only try, Howlett was easily – and not for the first time – Munster most industrious and inventive back and his absence in the coming weeks will be keenly felt.

He sustained what looks to be a serious ankle injury with less than five minutes remaining at a time when Munster looked like they might be about to pull off another escape to victory end game.

Trailing 19-13 they forced a series of scrums five metres from the Ospreys line that had the home eight in all sorts of bother. Five times referee reset the scrum, three times with a full penalty and then, when BJ Botha slipped on engage, there was no reset, just a penalty to the home side that allowed them clear their lines.

That clearance missed touch and allowed Munster counter for Ronan O'Gara to kick for a five metre line out. But an overthrow denied Munster the opportunity to build the phase that might have yielded some return.

All things considered, Munster were the architects of their own downfall. They led 10-6 at the break thanks to that Howlett try and the boot of Ian Keatley. But within ten minutes of the restart they'd coughed up two tries to trail 16-10 and then when replacement (for Danny Barnes) O'Gara reduced that deficit to a single score they almost immediately conceded another penalty that allowed Matthew Morgan kick his side into what was the eventual final score.

Credit to Munster for the way they put themselves into position where they might have snatched victory at the death for the third successive week, and a penalty try did look on the cards in the closing minutes. But credit too to an unyielding Ospreys whose defence was superb all night and if nothing else Munster will return to Wales next Friday under no illusions of the mammoth task they face.

Munster: D Hurley; D Howlett (J Murphy, 76), W Chambers, D Barnes (R O'Gara, 50), S Zebo; I Keatley, T O'Leary (C Murray, 61); M Horan (W du Preez, 50), D Varley, BJ Botha; D O'Callaghan, D Ryan (P O'Connell, 45) ; D Leamy (J Coughlan, 61), N Ronan, P O'Mahony.

Ospreys: B Davies (H Dirksen, 48); T Bowe, A Bishop, A Beck, R Fussell; M Morgan, R Webb (T Isaacs, 66); D Jones, R Hibbard (M Davies, 57), A Jarvis (C Griffiths, 48); I Gough, J Thomas; T Smith, J King, J Bearman.

Referee: P Allan (SRU).