Glasgow 27 - 19 Dragons: Glasgow clip Dragons' wings but fail to go extra mile

GLASGOW recorded their first league win since beating Edinburgh at the start of January and the 3-1 try count was an accurate reflection of the difference between the sides. But this could have been better.

• William Harries arrives too late to prevent DTH van der Merwe – who chased down his own 50-metre hack – touching down for Glasgow Warriors' second try in yesterday's Magners League clash against Newport Gwent Dragons at Firhill

The scramble is now on for bonus points that will ultimately determine who finishes in the top four of the Magners League and earns a place in the first end-of-season play-offs, and this was a chance for one spurned. Glasgow have Ulster and Leinster to come at home and the Scarlets away, and once they study the video of how they kept letting the Dragons back into this game they will realise that they need to tighten up if they are to secure that semi-final spot.

However, in the wake of Edinburgh's defeat at Connacht and a run of five successive defeats to the Dragons at home, victory was the simple target and Glasgow wrapped that up to move back to fourth in the table, a point ahead of the Ospreys, albeit with one more game played.

Fine breaks by Colin Shaw and Max Evans set a good tone early on, and only four minutes were gone when Bernardo Stortoni birled out of tackles to open the Glasgow account with a first try after good work by DTH van der Merwe and recycling by the forwards.

Glasgow had lost their international openside John Barclay before kick-off with a bout of sickness and after just nine minutes, his replacement, James Eddie, limped off for Richie Vernon to enter the fray. However, Glasgow forwards handed the Dragons a cheap foothold in the match when they chased a clearance kick by Dan Parks from an offside position, allowing Jason Tovey an easy penalty. The stand-off added another in the 16th minute when referee Alan Lewis made a dubious offside call in what was quickly becoming a fractured contest.

But then fractured moments can have their positive elements too, as Glasgow discovered in the 20th minute when Evans' defence forced a loose ball and van der Merwe cottoned on and hacked the ball 50 metres deep into the Dragons half. His speed made him favourite and the South African-born Canadian internationalist got there to pick up and dive over with tacklers straining in vain to stop him.

Parks again missed the conversion, and then sent a long kick dead from just outside his 22. The early Glasgow pattern of taking two steps forward and one back continued: a great scrum lifted the Firhill support and earned Glasgow a penalty, but the hosts then lost their lineout over the tail.

When Glasgow did take a good lineout off the back their attack had real threat, and similarly when the Dragons had a good scrum they were dangerous on the front foot, and in Tovey they had a kicker to match Parks, the stand-off closing the gap to a point after Vernon handled in a ruck.

Evans and Kelly Brown were poking and prodding for gaps in the Newport defence, but the attacks lacked the zip and depth to develop their promptings. Still, a rare dart by Parks into the visitors' 22 brought a penalty and the stand-off converted that and another to send Glasgow into the break with a 16-9 lead.

The Dragons have improved this season, but in the face of strong Glasgow defence they lacked a clinical edge and as the game moved into the second period it was there for the taking by Glasgow. They were aided when Dragons centre Matthew Watkins was yellow-carded for a high tackle on Evans, from which Parks added three points, but the pattern of the first-half resumed with Glasgow mistakes inviting the Dragons back into the home 22.

Evans went close to another try with a frantic chase, his hack just going too far, and a Tovey penalty from five metres inside his own half came back off the Glasgow crossbar. Glasgow's intent on just winning the game, as opposed to hunting four tries, was clear when Parks went for, but fell short with a penalty from halfway, but a kick and chase by Beattie earned another penalty, which the stand-off goaled to open up ten-point advantage.

But instead of building on that, it was the same old story as Glasgow allowed their visitors to work their way back into the home half, this time with poor defence, and though van der Merwe denied William Harries a try on the right, Tovey was handed a penalty he converted.

With nine minutes remaining the Warriors finally rediscovered a finish, Evans breaking free on the right with support on both sides, and though his chip ahead was a gamble the ball bounced kindly for Colin Shaw to collect and hold off two tacklers long enough to dot the ball down.

You can guess what happened next. Glasgow took the foot off the gas, and when they should have been going for a bonus point try they were conceding points, winger Harries diving over.

A win is a precious commodity for Glasgow the value of which cannot be underestimated, and the players deserve credit for sealing that, but improvement is now required to create the thrilling finish to the season that can mark real progress.

Scorers: Glasgow: Tries: Stortoni, van der Merwe, Shaw. Pens: Parks (4).

Newport Gwent Dragons: Try: Harries. Pens: Tovey (4). Con: Arlidge.

Glasgow: B Stortoni; C Shaw, M Evans, G Morrison, DTV van der Merwe; D Parks, M McMillan; K Tkachuk, F Thomson, M Low, T Barker, A Kellock (capt), J Eddie, K Brown, J Beattie. Subs: R Vernon for Eddie 9mins, D Hall for Thomson 54, R Jackson for Parks, D Turner for Kellock, both 72, E Kalman for Low 73, H O'Hare for van der Merwe 74.

Newport Gwent Dragons: M Thomas; W Harries, M Watkins, T Riley, R Fussell; J Tovey, W Evans; H Gustafson, T Willis (capt), P Palmer, R Sidoli, L Charteris, A Coombs, G Thomas, T Faletau. Subs: H MacDonald for Charteris 40mins, B Castle for Palmer, R Gomer-Davies for Watkins, both 54, J Arlidge for Tovey 75.