Connacht 10-6 Glasgow Warriors

Connacht 10 (7)
Tries: Flavin
Cons: Dunne
Pens: Dunne
Glasgow 6 (3)
Pens: Parks 2

Connacht clung on against Glasgow Warriors to secure under-pressure coach Michael Bradley's first Magners League win since the season's opening day.

The game's only try arrived in first-half injury-time, when home hooker Adrian Flavin sneaked over following a well-worked lineout move.

Two penalties from a quiet Dan Parks kept disappointing Glasgow in the hunt.

But a 62nd-minute penalty strike from fly-half Andy Dunne secured Connacht their eventual winning margin.

Pressure had increased on Bradley following the province's collapse against Ulster last week.

And the game started with a heavy gale backing Glasgow as an almost incessant downpour dominated the first 30 minutes' play.

But the visitors struggled to stamp their authority on the game and it was the hosts who seemed more suited to the conditions.

Connacht's hard-working pack took the game to the Scots with Dunne, who was making his first start for the province since his switch from Leinster, showing some nice touches at number 10.

Glasgow broke the deadlock in the 26th minute when Parks punished a ruck infringement with a smart shot from 42 metres out.

But Connacht ended the half on the up and should have done better when they had 12 phases of possession inside the Scots' 22.

Glasgow's defence looked like it would hold out, but they leaked a soft try in injury time.

Connacht had missed a chance to get level when Dunne pushed a penalty to the right and wide.

But the Irishmen quickly regrouped and forced a lineout. Flavin quickly took it, received a return pass and nipped over from four metres out for a crucial score.

Luck then favoured Connacht when Dunne's conversion attempt brushed in off the crossbar for a 7-3 interval lead.

The conditions improved during a tight second half and Glasgow also upped their effort, with a Parks place kick reducing the gap to a single point.

Dunne cancelled that out after a great tackle from Ray Ofisa on Andrew Henderson led to a Connacht penalty.

Dunne then missed a drop-goal attempt and sent a kickable 35-metre penalty chance to the right of the posts.

But those kicks failed to matter as Sean Lineen's men slipped to only their second defeat in eight matches in all competitions.



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Connacht: Duffy, Wynne, Yapp, Deane, Treviranus, Dunne, O'Loughlin, Wilkinson, Flavin, Morris, Swift, Farley, McCarthy, O'Connor, J. Muldoon.
Replacements: McPhillips for O'Loughlin (60), Fogarty for Flavin (69), Ofisa for McCarthy (56). Not Used: Loughney, Gannon, Donnelly, Mostyn.

Glasgow: Stortoni, Faatau, Morrison, Henderson, T. Evans, Parks, O'Young, Va'a, Thomson, Low, Newman, Kellock, Brown, Barclay, Beattie.
Replacements: Barrow for Henderson (76), O'Hare for T. Evans (30), Pinder for O'Young (49), Collins for Va'a (79), Hall for Thomson (69), Eddie for Newman (69), Palepoi for Kellock (23).

Att: 1,500

Ref: Neil Ballard (WRFU).

This article was posted on 30-Nov-2007, 21:26 by Hugh Barrow.