Glasgow Warriors 16 Ulster 14: Hosts supply ultimate finale to reach PRO12 play-off final

Three points down early on, two points behind at half-time, five adrift with ten minutes to play: Glasgow were always in contention, but, with time running out, their proud record of being unbeaten at home in the PRO12 since a loss to the Dragons in November 2013 was in grave. In truth, Ulster had more or less deserved to keep their noses marginally in front for much of the game, as they displayed just a little more composure at key moments.

But the game lasts for 80 minutes, Gregor Townsend had called for an 80-minute effort from his team, and that is what the coach got in an exceptional finale. Substitute DTH van der Merwe touched down at last, after his team-mates had struggled all evening to breach the Ulster line, and Finn Russell supplied the winning points with a sublime conversion from the touchline.

The Warriors may have been below their best, and at times the occasion got to them, but when it mattered most they showed superior grit and determination - and perhaps that extra few ounces of energy that enabled them to get the better of opponents who got scarcely believe they had lost.

There was still time for some added tension after the score, as Stuart Hogg was short with a last-minute penalty attempt and Ulster ran the ball back from deep, but Glasgow were not to be denied. They held on to take their place in the final next Saturday at Belfast's Kingspan Stadium, ensuring one more outing in Warriors colours for van der Merwe, Al Kellock and Niko Matawalu.

Ulster had dreamed of playing that final on their home turf, and losing last week's final regular-season match to Glasgow had not dented that dream at all. With 11 changes to their team from the one that began that 32-10 defeat, they were certain they had the personnel to win through. That certainty remained intact for almost the whole game - only to be blown to pieces in those closing minutes.

Ulster drew first blood with a Ruan Pienaar penalty from their opening attack, but Finn Russell soon had the home side level with another offside award. It was a tit-for-tat exchange which set the tone for the first half, in which no sooner did one team appear to have seized the initiative than their opponents quickly fought back.

Stuart Hogg put the Warriors in front for the first time with a mammoth penalty from just inside his own half after quarter of an hour, but it was not long before Ulster regained the lead with a move in which they did wait patiently for an opening to arise. Paddy Jackson and Louis Ludik combined dangerously on the left, and, as Matawalu rushed out of position apparently in search of an interception, the full-back slipped the scoring pass to Chris Henry.

The flanker's touchdown close to the left corner was unconverted, but it was ominous nonetheless. Any notion that Glasgow would calmly carry on the momentum from last Saturday's win evaporated as a result of the try, with Ulster by that stage clearly having a greater spring in their step.

Both Kellock and Fraser Brown had their evenings curtailed when forced off with head injuries, but Glasgow recovered from the loss of those two key forwards and played their best rugby of the first half during its final minutes, in which Ulster were fortunate to finish with a full complement of men on the field. Roger Wilson, their No 8, could have been shown yellow after hanging around off the ball to get in Peter Horne's way, and Craig Gilroy, the left-winger, was even more lucky to stay out of the sinbin after taking Matawalu out in the air as the try line beckoned. The referee opted only to give the home team a penalty for the latter offence, and Russell kicked to the corner before the attack was snuffed out from the lineout.

Just 6-8 down at the start of the second half, Glasgow were still very much in the match without having come close to firing on all cylinder, but they were in trouble when Pienaar kicked the first points of the half after Mike Cusack, the Warriors' substitute prop, had stood up at his first scrum to concede the penalty. With 25 minutes left there was still plenty of time for Glasgow, but the five-point deficit increased the importance of getting the next score.

They got it, too, as the game entered its last quarter, with Russell chipping over his second penalty from directly in front of the posts. Yet before the Warriors could build on that score, Pienaar delivered the perfect riposte with his third penalty of the evening, an excellent effort from 50 metres.

Five points behind again, and this time with only ten minutes left, Glasgow could do little but up their tempo in search of a try. At first much of their effort was expended deep in their own half as Ulster set about squeezing the life out of the context, but then, five minutes on, wave after wave of attack ended with van der Merwe crashing over in the right corner after Russell's superlative pass had taken out three defenders.

With the score standing at 14-14, the unforeseen prospect of extra-time loomed. But Russell was having none of that, and from close to the touchline he converted the extra points that sent Glasgow to next week's final, and a capacity Scotstoun crowd into delirium.

Glasgow Warriors: S Hogg; T Seymour, R Vernon, P Horne, N Matawalu; F Russell, H Pyrgos; R Grant, F Brown, R de Klerk; J Gray, A Kellock (captain); J Strauss, C Fusaro, A Ashe.

Subs: L Nakarawa for Kellock, 21 mins. P McArthur for Brown 21. Ryan Wilson for Fusaro 41. G Reid for Grant, 47. M Cusack for de Klerk, 54. DTH van der Merwe for Seymour, 68. S Lamont for Horne, 71. D Weir for Matawalu, 79.

Scorers: Try: van der Merwe. Con: Russell. Pens: Russell 2, Hogg.

Ulster: L Ludik; T Bowe, J Payne, D Cave, C Gilroy; P Jackson, R Pienaar; C Black, R Best (c), R Lutton; L Stevenson, D Tuohy; I Henderson, C Henry, Roger Wilson.

Subs: A Warwick for Black, 73. R Diack for Stevenson, 78. S McCloskey for Cave, 78. S Reidy for Henry, 78.

Scorers: Try: Henry. Pens: Pienaar 3.

Referee: G Clancy (Ireland). Attendance: 10,000.