THIS was Glasgow's cavaliers against the roundheads of Cardiff Blues – dazzling, dashing and daredevil with a smattering of errors, but in the end just enough to see off the more prosaic home team.

However the outcome of the game came down to a final penalty attempt with just two minutes to go by Blues outside half Steven Shingler, whose Scottish roots once interested Scotland coach Andy Robinson.

Having executed his first five kicks at goal without flaw, he pulled his final effort wide of the left-hand post and Glasgow were able to breathe a huge sigh of relief, thus seeing the game out to continue their 100% start to the season.

However that unbeaten record was put under huge threat by a Cardiff side who lacked the star quality of the visitors, but had plenty of gritty determination to bounce back after their own poor start to the season.

In the end it was not quite enough. Glasgow were at times breathtaking, at others sloppy, for periods they were precise and sharp in attack, and sometimes they were overly optimistic. They were quite a mixed bag, but one thing stood out overall – they were certainly entertaining.

Although it rained sporadically during the game, it was not enough to dampen their attacking spirit, so they were perhaps fortunate the heavens opened seconds after the final whistle rather than before.

Glasgow were bolstered by the return of Tommy Seymour on the wing, after the British and Irish Lions tour in the summer where he was the tourists' top tryscorer, while up front lock Tim Swinson was appearing in Glasgow colours for the 100th time.

The two teams came into the match with contrasting records, Glasgow having earned two hard-fought wins while Cardiff Blues had already lost at home to Edinburgh as well as away in Leinster.

So the clouds were gathering over Cardiff Arms Park in every sense. There was a light drizzle as the match started and Glasgow looked in the mood to add to the pressures on the home team.

However it was Cardiff who got the first points on the scoreboard thanks to a catalogue of errors by Glasgow.

First a lineout through flew over the intended receiver in the middle and was gathered by the Blues flanker Josh Navidi in the back, then the blindside winger Tom James cut through the middle of the Glasgow midfield far too easily to streak away for the score.

Shingler, once named in a Scotland squad only for his Wales Under-20 appearances to put a block to that, slotted the conversion and then added a penalty for a scrum offence.

Glasgow had prolonged periods of pressure inside the Blues 22, but struggled to force their way over the last couple of yards to turn that into tries.

Shingler's opposite number Finn Russell, back at the ground where he burst onto the scene five years ago, did kick a penalty which was soon cancelled when the Welshman added his second.

It took half an hour for Glasgow to show some of the dazzling rugby they have become known for, but it was worth the wait.

Flanker Callum Gibbins burst through the middle and set up quick ruck ball. Some crisp interplay down the left took the ball out wide before a reverse back inside for scrum half Henry Pyrgos for an easy score easily which Russell converted.

Glasgow continued to live up to a spirit of adventure and were happy to attack from deep; often they were more effective starting in their own half.

Centre Nick Grigg took the ball 50 metres from his own 22, but the move fizzled out when he could not find his supporting runners with what could have been a scoring pass.

Glasgow trailed 13-10 at the break after a half they had dominated both in terms of territory and attacking endeavour.

The downside of attacking from deep is, of course, that if anything goes wrong then you are under pressure in the heart of your own territory and so it came to pass at the start of the second half when Glasgow were penalised from crossing and Shingler added his third penalty.

Glasgow hit straight back when the Blues scrum-half Lloyd Williams launched an up and under from he restart. Russell jumped for the catch which took him past the first chasing players and then he was able to put winger Lee Jones into space for another try. The outside half added the conversion.

A Williams break put the Glasgow defence under pressure and another penalty for Shingler was the result, putting the Blues back ahead in this nip-and-tuck game.

The arrival of Niko Matawalu on the wing, on his return to Glasgow colours, did not exactly damage the visiting side's bold approach as he came close to breaking all the way through on a couple of occasions with a typical combination of pace and footwork.

The usual raft of front-row changes suited Glasgow and then pressure they exerted in the scrum brought a penalty just outside the 22 which Russell kicked to retake the lead.

It was a one-point lead they held on to, but only after surviving that late scare.