OSIAN Pryce's Motorsport UK British Rally championship dream ended in Ulster as Matt Edwards stormed to victory to seal his third consecutive title.

The Machynlleth star had to be content with second place in the championship.

After a scintillating battle, Conwy-based Edwards and co-driver Darren Garrod threaded their Pirelli shod Volkswagen Polo GTi through the treacherous lanes around Newry with the ultimate precision until an error on the penultimate stage from Pryce saw him launch his Polo off the road, giving Edwards his third title.

Edwards joins an illustrious list of names on the BRC trophy including the likes of Colin McRae, Richard Burns and Ari Vatanen.

“This means everything to me,” said Edwards. "Everyone knows what the BRC means to me. I don’t give up and this is the reward for that."

Much like the six rounds before it, the Ulster Rally had been a cutthroat affair between the two Melvyn Evans Motorsport contenders with Edwards needing to win to become champion.

Pryce also had his eyes on the prize and was doing everything in his power to not become a BRC runner up for the third time in his career.

Sadly his Michelin shod Volkswagen would leave the stage on the eighth test, coming to rest on its roof.

The Melvyn Evans Motorsport squad were also confirmed as British Rally Championship Teams victors, offering some consolation to only one of the two cars returning to the Newry finish.

Pryce apologised to fans for a disappointing end to the season and congratulated Edwards and Garrod on their title.

He said: "I'd like to say a big thanks, and also a big apology to everyone that has been involved in getting me this far this year.

"It’s difficult to accept that one small moment by me has un done everyone's hard work and effort. I may have deserved the bad outcome but you all definitely didn't.

"Out of all the heart stopping moments we got away with in the tricky conditions, it had to be the little innocent one that caught us out."

"Congratulations to Matt and Darren on the title and to the whole Melvyn Evans Motorsport team for winning the championship. We will live to fight another day, whenever that may be."