Conor McPhillips' snappy second-half try helped Connacht kickstart their Celtic League campaign with a 13-9 win over Cardiff Blues at the Sportsground.
An Ireland debut tantalisingly eluded McPhillips in June when he was the only Irish squad member not to taste any Test action against Japan, but the 24-year-old winger was the man of the moment in Galway.
He spotted a gap in the Welsh region's rush defence on 53 minutes to grab the afternoon's only try and set up Connacht's first ever defeat of the Blues and their first competitive home win since January.
Cardiff, who trailed 10-3 after McPhillips' effort, narrowed the gap back to four points, had only three penalties from Nicky Robinson to show for at the finish.
An error-ridden opening half saw the Connacht scrum, which had lost loosehead prop Ray Hogan to injury before kick-off, come notably under the cosh.
The home side's shoddy set piece allowed fly-half Robinson to kick Cardiff into a sixth-minute lead, and early on, the visitors looked the more comfortable - especially with nine internationals in their line-up.
Blues boss Dai Young handed competitive debuts to Mike Phillips and Andy Powell, but disappointingly, there was little in the way of attacking ball for either to get their teeth into.
It was Connacht who got closest to making the try breakthrough as nearing the half-hour, David Slemen and Darren Yapp combined to race play into Blues' territory, but the move fell apart.
By that stage, Connacht had levelled. Following the 13th-minute sin-binnings of home flanker John Muldoon and Wales lock Robert Sidoli for an off-the-ball scuffle, Warwick dinked the resultant penalty through the uprights.
After Robinson missed a chance to reply early in the second half, drilling a drop goal shot wide, McPhillips scorched through to outpace two cover men for the corner.
Warwick did well to convert and the Australian held his nerve to kick a 74th-minute drop goal, sandwiched between a brace of Robinson penalties, to keep up Connacht's record of winning every one of their opening league games since 2001.
