Glasgow 29, Dragons 35

Glasgow missed their chance for a third successive Celtic League win as they allowed the visiting Dragons to snatch the points at the death of a tight match at Hughenden last night, writes Steve Scott, rugby correspondent.

Welsh international scrum-half Gareth Cooper nipped in for a try seven minutes from time after Glasgow stand-off Dan Parks had kicked his side into a four-point lead heading towards no-side, while a late penalty from Ceri Sweeney and a drop goal from Sione Tuipolutu denied the Warriors even the consolation bonus point they at least deserved.

Coming off wins of the Borders and Edinburgh in the last fortnight, the Warriors were seeking their first three-in-a-row for two years—and it was there for the taking going into the final 10 minutes.

“We’d worked on opening out our game and we got much more ball than we have in recent weeks,” said coach Hugh Campbell.

“But on the other hand our defence failed us in the first half and those soft tries we conceded then probably were the key to the game.”

After the two defensively-dour wins in the last fortnight, Glasgow fans saw the other side of their team in the first half, with some thrilling attacking but also inept defending.

The Dragons had an early Ceri Sweeney penalty but the Warriors’ first foray saw Andy Henderson’s big miss pass open up the defence and flanker Paul Dearlove looped around Sean Lamont for the opening try, converted by Parks.

Sweeney reduced the gap with a penalty and then the Dragons moved it wide with far more incision than Edinburgh had shown last week, open side Jamie Ringer popping up on the outside and going around Scott Barrow far too easily for an unconverted try.

The full-back quickly made partial amends by steaming into the line off another Henderson pass to set up Donnie Macfadyen for a stroll-over score midway through the half, which Parks converting and then, not too long after, added a penalty for a 17-11 lead.

Glasgow’s defensive strength of the previous two weeks had withered away, however, and the Dragons cut through for two simple scores in the space of three minutes. Full-back Gareth Morgan raced in untouched from halfway and then prop Rod Snow was driven over from a simple lineout move, Sweeney adding the conversions.

Parks pegged the visitors back with a penalty but was wide with another and hit the post with a third on the stroke of half-time.

The Warriors managed to correct their defensive alignments for the second half and dominated territory, forcing the Dragons into a series of infringements which Parks punished with three well-struck penalties for a 29-25 lead.

However, a series of attacks on the Dragons’ line and the loss of Dearlove to injury as the home side looked to make sure of the win failed to bear any fruit and they paid for it in cruel fashion in the final five minutes.

The Welshmen forced a five-metre scrum after a penalty infringement in midfield by Dan Turner and Gareth Cooper nipped in unchallenged for a try converted by Sweeney.

That was the bonus point for the Dragons and they made sure of victory with another Sweeney penalty and a snap drop from Tuipolutu as the match entered injury time.

Glasgow—S Barrow; R Kerr, G Morrison, A Henderson, S Lamont; D Parks, S Pinder (G Beveridge 73); K Tkachuk, G Bulloch (S Lawson 77), L Harrison (A Kelly 77); A Hall (A Wilson 60), D Turner; P Dearlove (J Beattie 65), D Macfadyen, J Petrie (c).

Dragons—K Morgan; G Wyatt, H Luscombe, S Tuipolutu, N Brew; C Sweeney, G Cooper; R Snow, S Jones, R Thomas (A Black 40); I Gough, P Sidoli; R Bryan (S Waldron 80), J Ringer, M Owen.

Edinburgh have restored Brendan Laney to stand-off as they attempt to break their Celtic League duck this season against champions Llanelli at Stradey Park this afternoon.

Edinburgh v Llanelli (Celtic League, Stradey Park, kick-off 3 pm): H Southwell; S Webster, M Di Rollo, C Joiner, C Paterson; B Laney, M Blair; A Jacobsen, A Kelly, J Brannigan; N Hines, A Kellock; T Blackadder, S Cross, A Hogg. Replacements: D Hall, C Smith, A Strokosch, D Callam, R Lawson, M Pyke, D Lee.