Ulster 19 - 17 Glasgow Warriors: Failure to build on solid start costs sloppy Glasgow dear

GLASGOW recorded their fourth straight league loss last night in Belfast against a subdued Ulster side that was there for the taking. Sean Lineen's team have now only won once on the road since January and the head coach will be disappointed that his team could not push on from a solid platform to put away a strong and talented Ulster team which they did the double over last season.

• Glasgow's try scorer DTH van der Merwe of Glasgow is halted by Ulster's Niall O'Connor as Sean Lineen's side slipped to their fourth-successive loss at Ravenhill last night

Ulster remain unbeaten and look likely to be in the mix for the end of season Magners League play-offs.

Glasgow dominated the ball for the opening spell of the match but the first chance for points fell to the home side. Ruan Pienaar, the classy Springbok making his Ulster debut, had a shot at the posts after Glasgow failed to roll away in the tackle. The attempt from inside his own half was long enough but pulled just wide.

Glasgow were stringing some nice phases together and eventually forced the penalty from Ulster when they failed to roll away in the tackle. Duncan Weir was on target from just inside the Ulster 10 metre line. A minute later Glasgow were presented with a gift-wrapped score. Weir rather miscued an up-and-under from just inside his own half which looked more likely to cause his own team trouble. Ulster right winger Andrew Trimble did well to catch the ball but then coughed it up into the hands of Glasgow wing DTH van der Merwe who ran half the length of the pitch down the left wing to touch down in the corner without a hand being laid on him. Weir missed the difficult conversion.

From the kick-off Glasgow returned the compliment with flanker Robert Harley dropping the ball forward. Ulster won a penalty from the scrum award after Jon Welsh was caught driving in on the angle. Pienaar was on target this time. Glasgow then gave away a series of penalties which handed Ulster a prolonged spell in the visitors' half. Pienaar narrowed the gap with a penalty from in front of the posts when Glasgow encroached offside.

Pienaar was to do more damage minutes later. Ulster caught and drove line-out ball close to the Glasgow try-line. Glasgow held the drive and the danger appeared to be over. Ulster, however, cleverly worked the ball blind from captain Rory Best to Pienaar who dived over for the try near to right hand corner flag.He was also on target with the conversion to give Ulster the lead for the first time at 13-8 going into the last 15 minutes of the first half.

It was Glasgow, though, who seemed more likely to score next and it seemed that a typically strong half-break and off-load from centre Graeme Morrison had put Max Evans through. The move was called back for a forward pass. But Glasgow didn't leave the Ulster 22 empty handed. Weir reduced the gap to two points after Ulster nudged up offside. Glasgow finished the half on the front foot after some direct forward drives were stopped by Ulster with side entry to the breakdown. Weir pushed Glasgow ahead 14-13 with the straightforward penalty just before the half-time whistle.

Ulster re-took the lead after four minutes of the second half. Glasgow didn't release in the tackle and Pienaar's penalty bounced over off the crossbar, much to the delight of an agitated Ravenhill crowd.

Weir responded with a monster penalty from 60 metres which cleared the bar with something to spare.

The home fans were sparked into life again after an Ulster turnover and hack ahead by Andrew Trimble. Trimble dribbled the ball down the right touch-line past Glasgow No 8 Richie Vernon towards the try line. Vernon then eased Trimble off the pitch and out of the race for the ball much to the anger of the crowd who called for a penalty try and a yellow card. They got neither and Pienaar ended up missing the easy-enough penalty.

With Ulster still in the Glasgow half they attempted to apply more pressure but Glasgow were comfortable in defence and Ulster were eventually penalised for crossing.

Incredibly, when a pressure-relieving penalty touch kick and line-out seemed the sensible option for Glasgow, fly-half Weir signalled a shot at the posts from over 60 metres out. His kick was easily long enough but just wide, and the Ulster fans applauded the attempt.

Ulster now upped the ante and laid siege to the Glasgow line, Glasgow again repelled the close in drives, but conceded the penalty which Pienaar converted to give Ulster a two-point lead with less than 10 minutes to go.

Sean Lineen then pulled Weir ashore and threw on Ruaridh Jackson to try and change the direction of the game but Glasgow could not play their way out of their own half. Ulster could even have extended the margin of victory but Pienaar missed an easy late penalty.