IF there is any truth to the claim that winning is a habit, then Edinburgh are hoping doing it once will be enough to get them into that state of grace. They know they need to reverse their dismal record on the road as they prepare for one of their biggest games of the season.

With their scheduled weekend opponents, Munster, catching up on European Champions Cup action, Edinburgh's next match not for two weeks when they travel to Harlequins for a game one that could decide their fate in the Challenge Cup. Now that they have broken their nine-month duck when it comes to road wins in the Guinness PRO12, the next stage is to take the confidence that has generated and do it again at a much tougher venue.

Since Edinburgh won at Newport back in March, their only away win has been at Timisoara Saracens, the European minnows, so self belief when they set off to face Zebre in Parma must inevitably have been at low ebb – especially when you consider that they have lost the last three matches there, were lucky to win the one they did four years ago, were beaten at home by the same opponents earlier this season and have lost both their last two games.

It didn't matter that Zebre are well adrift at the foot of the PRO12 table and their win at BT Murrayfield is their only one anywhere this season. It was still a challenge for Edinburgh to find the confidence to put together a victorious performance.

"That was our first away win this season, first there since 2012," pointed out Will Helu, the Tongan wing whose second-half try, in the end, proved decisive. "It was really important to get that win for us as a group, especially after we lost to them at home.

"We weren’t hiding from the fact that this was a must-win game for us after some disappointing results. To put that pressure on yourselves and come out the other side of a pretty tough five days with that away win – the boys are really chuffed. It is an important part of us building as a team.

"Now, with the Munster game off, we have a little break. We can rest and start to look ahead to Harlequins in the Challenge Cup, which will be a different kind of game again."

In the end, the scoreline a minute from the final whistle would have been a more fair reflection of the game. Instead Zebre won a late penalty that they kicked to touch for a line out five yards out. They made it into a maul and managed to work Andries van Schalkwyk, their No8, over for a late try that rescued a losing bonus point for the home side.

Before then, Edinburgh had reversed their own experience of earlier in the week when Glasgow Warriors were able to absorb pressure and pounce with clinical efficiency when the openings came.

They had conceded the opening try when a simple missed tackle allowed Tomasso Boni, the centre, in for the opening try, but with Duncan Weir kicking two penalties, took a lead into the break as Chris Dean, the centre, latched onto the a loose ball and had the pace to get to the line from half way.

The second half, saw Edinburgh turn the screw as Blair Kinghorn, the full back, popped up in the back line and drilled the ball through for Helu to score only his second try of the season.

"It was great play by Blair to put it through. I just had to get to it, but it’s always a good feeling to score and help the team," he said. "It was great to get back playing, I’m chuffed to be back in the team, feeling part of it again. It’s really tough because the wingers Tom Brown and Damo [Damien Hoyland] have been playing well, so it’s good to get a try and remind them I’m there."

Zebre were quickly back on the attack, though, and a long period of pressure put Carlo Canna, their fly half over. Even so, two more penalties from Weir, who finished the game with 14 points, put enough distance between the sides that the late try against them did not really matter.

"It has been about improving our game and winning more, taking it step by step," said Helu." We haven’t won a lot of games; this is just our first [in the PRO12] away from home, so it’s only a small step, but hopefully it’s an important one to end 2016 with, one we can use to build on in 2017.

"They [Zebre] really get up for home games and we knew we’d have to grind it out. The positive thing is that we got there in the end. We knew we had to stick to our game plan and not play too much in our half, play sensibly, use kicks to release pressure, and then to convert pressure on them into points. We did that effectively in some patches but clearly there’s a lot to improve on because we didn’t do it enough."

The result does leave Edinburgh 14 points adrift of Ulster, who are currently occupying that all-important sixth spot in the PRO12 and have a game in hand, so it is not a season-defining breakthrough. It is a massive confidence-booster, a monkey off the team's back and, they hope, a sign of things to come.

Scorers: Zebre: Tries: Boni (24), Canna (61), Van Schalkwyk (79) Cons: Cana 2.

Edinburgh: Tries: Dean (38 mins), Helu (54). Con: Weir. Pens: Weir 4 (13, 20, 65, 74).

Scoring sequence (Zebre first): 0-3, 7-3, 7-6, 7-13 (half time), 7-18, 12-18, 12-21, 12-24, 19-24.

Zebre: E Padovani; K Baker (M Bellini, 66), T Boni, F Afamasaga, G Venditti; C Canna, M Violi (G Palazzani, 72); A Lovotti (G Roan, 71), T D’Apice (C Festuccia, 56), D Chistolini (P Ceccarelli, 48), Q Geldenhuys (J Furno, 48), G Biagi (C), D Minnie (F Ruzza, 5-14, 58), J Meyer, A Van Schalkwyk.

Edinburgh: B Kinghorn (G Bryce, 76); D Hoyland, C Dean, J Rasolea, W Helu; D Weir (J Tovey, 76), S Kennedy (N Fowles, 66, sin : bin 79-end); A Dell (J Cosgrove, 66), R Ford (C)(N Cochrane, 56), S Berghan (M McCallum, 71), B Toolis, F McKenzie (L Carmichael, 69), M Bradbury, J Ritchie, C Du Preez (V Mata, 66).

Referee: G Conway (Ireland)

Attendance: 2000