Ulster were knocked out of the European Challenge Cup at the quarter-final stage by a powerful Clermont performance at the Stade Marcel Michelin.

Having trailed only 20-14 at the break, they would ship 33 points without reply after the turn.

Clermont will now face the Sharks in the last four.

Ultimately, Ulster showed early promise but the toll of their fourth away game in a row came to the fore in the second half.

Having fallen behind 14-0 against Montpellier in the last 16, it was Richie Murphy's side who took the early lead this time around.

Despite losing Stewart Moore to injury after only five minutes - a cause for concern having gone with a 6:2 split on the bench - Ulster took advantage of a pair of Clermont penalty concessions in quick succession.

Advancing from their own territory to five metres from the Clermont line, it was back row Nick Timoney who crashed over from close range for his first score of the day.

Clermont felt the ball had been knocked on in the build-up but referee Christophe Ridley said it had been ripped backwards in the tackle.

In an entertaining opening quarter, the three-time winners of the competition struck back through Peceli Yato.

Scrum-half Baptiste Jauneau was the architect, scampering down the blindside to catch Ulster unaware before the forwards took the ball on and Yato went over.

A no-arms tackle from Tom O'Toole and tackle off the ball from Robert Baloucoune allowed Anthony Belleau to kick a pair of penalties and move Clermont 13-7 ahead.

Four minutes before the turn, they would extend that lead through former All Black Pita-Gus Sowakula and, when the same man executed a perfect tap tackle to thwart an Ulster attack, Christophe Urios' squad looked set to take a commanding lead into half-time.

But, after Tom Stewart took the place of Rob Herring, Ulster's replacement hooker nailed a high pressure line-out throw with the clock five minutes into the red to set up another close-range score from Timoney.

Again Clermont felt aggrieved, this time thinking Timoney had been held up over the line.

In the second half, Belleau missed an early penalty but Clermont would still strike first after the restart.

Alex Newsome and Alivereti Raka combined excellently for the former to score and this time Belleau made no mistake from the tee.

From there, it was all Clermont.

Getting on top at the breakdown, and with Ulster's line-out under increasing pressure, the Top 14 outfit were really turning the screw and, with 20 minutes remaining, Sowakulu's second of the day off a rolling maul put the hosts in a commanding position they never felt likely to surrender.

Ulster attacks were increasingly rare and they were having less and less of a say in things as the game wore on.

Rob Simmons scored Clermont's fourth, again all started frim the line-out, before Yato scored his second of what was becoming a rout.

Replacement Joris Jurand would round out the scoring with Clermont's seventh try with the last play of the game.

Line-ups

ASM Clermont: Newsome; Delguy, Darricarrere, Heriteau, Raka; Belleau, Jauneau (capt); Beria, Beheregaray, Slimani; Lanen, Lavanini; Tixeront, Yato, Sowakula.

Replacements: Fourcade, Bibi Biziwu, Dzmanashvili, Simmons, Fischer, Bezy, Giral, Jurand.

Ulster Rugby: Moore; Baloucoune, Hume, McCloskey, Lowry; Doak, Cooney, Kitshoff, Herring, O'Toole; O'Connor, Henderson (capt); Sheridan, McCann, Timoney.

Replacements: Stewart, Warwick, Wilson, Izuchukwu, Ewers, Flannery, McIlroy, Rea.

Match officials

Referee: Christophe Ridley (Eng)

TMO: Dean Richards (Eng)