GLASGOW may not have exuded their early season confidence, but at least they came away with a much-needed win that puts their Guinness PRO12 campaign back on track.
Expectations may have been higher of the former champions, but in the end it took a moment of skill from prop Alex Allan, an audacious move which any international back in the world would have been proud of, to claim the win.
If that was an unlikely source of salvation, at least Glasgow reminded themselves how to grind out a victory after a pair of narrow losses. Outside-half Finn Russell provided the penalty kicks which both set them on their way and then sealed victory at the end.
Despite a yellow card, flanker Fraser Brown was man of the match, which says a lot about the game.
However there was no doubt about the moment of the match – that belonged to Allan and his dazzling sidestep. Whether he will be allowed back into the front-row union is debatable, but that will still be worth it.
They may have started expecting a bonus point, but in the end had to settle for a late kick denying a losing bonus point to the home team.
Glasgow needed to win this one to re-establish their title credentials. Two defeats in a row against the only remaining sides with 100 per cent records could maybe be forgiven. Following them up with a loss against one of the strugglers would have rung alarm bells.
Of course Glasgow were without several players, the length of the back-row injury list is particularly long, meaning Scotland hooker Fraser Brown was on the flank while flanker Rob Harley was in the second row.
While flanker Lewis Wynne might not have expected so much match time at the start of the season, he has been making an impression with his work rate putting him high in the statistical analysis.
With Brown out in the wide channels, Glasgow did not convert their first opportunity after a break by centre Mark Bennett gave them a foothold in the Dragons 22.
However they came back for a penalty, slotted by outside half Finn Russell to give his team an early lead.
A slightly more difficult penalty from wider out was kicked to the corner, but Glasgow fell foul of the new lineout drive laws that make forwards hand the ball towards the back of the maul and the chance was gone.
Russell added another penalty before it was another lineout drive which brought the first try. The Dragons decided not to challenge, this time Glasgow were patient before handing the ball back through the forwards and were able to develop momentum.
The Dragons belatedly challenged the visiting pack but it was too little to late as they rumbled 20 metres for hooker Corey Flynn to go over for the try, converted by Russell.
The Dragons got onto the scoreboard through a 40 metre penalty for outside half Nick MacLeod, but worse for Glasgow was that they lost flanker Brown to the sin bin for tackling with no arms.
He was a little unlucky, using his arms to break his fall as he slipped rather than anything malicious, but even though they were man down Russell added a penalty and was confident enough to run a kickable penalty just before the break.
They pressured the home try line but could not break through and the Dragons were able to kick the ball out.
The Dragons were obviously boosted by that success and came out firing in the second half with immediate pressure on the Glasgow line, a burst by centre Jack Dixon and then prop Sam Hobbs was able to finish off from short range.
Russell was then slow to clear the ball in defence, the ball went loose and the Dragons were able to free left wing Amos whose neat pass to Dixon released the centre for a powerful run to the corner. MacLeod converted the try from wide out to put his team ahead for the first time.
If that try was the result of some good play by the Dragons backs, Glasgow prop Alex Allan was determined to show that anything they could do, he could do better.
As the ball came into midfield he collected the ball, came sharply off his left foot to beat the defence and showed a clean pair of heels on his way over under the posts. Any back on the pitch would have been proud of that try, which put his team back ahead.
Glasgow's defence had to hold firm, but they managed to resist the late attacks by the Dragons and finally work their way up field.
Russell made the break which put the home defence under pressure and then slotted the resulting penalty to seal the win.
Scorers: Newport Gwent Dragons: Tries: Hobbs, Dixon. Conversions: MacLeod, (2). Penalties: MacLeod.
Glasgow: Tries: Flynn, Allan. Conversions: Russell (2). Penalties: Russell (4)
Newport Gwent Dragons: C Meyer; P Howard (T Prydie, 34), S Beard, J Dixon, H Amos; N MacLeod (A O'Brien, 68), S Pretorius ( C Davies, 61); S Hobbs (Capt, T Davies, 59), TR Thomas (R Buckley, 60), B Harris (C Mitchell, 40), M Screech, R Landman (C Hill, 45), N Crosswell, N Cudd (H Keddie, 45), L Evans (C) .
Glasgow Warriors: P Murchie; T Seymour, M Bennett (R Clegg, 58), A Dunbar, R Hughes (L Sarto, 56),; F Russell, H Pyrgos (A Price, 56), A Allan (D Sears-Duru, ), C Flynn (P MacArthur, 14-20), S Puafisi (D Rae 67), R Harley, J Gray (C), L Wynne (M Fagerson, 71), F Brown, J Strauss (R MacAlpine, 73).
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU).
Attendance: 4805.
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