Glasgow 19

Borders 42

It could hardly get much worse for Glasgow, after a sound beating from a team formed only this season. Sympathy from a player their management had felt was surplus to requirements, and so was allowed to join the new side, only rubbed salt into the wounds.

Having helped the Borders claim a win and a bonus point on their first visit to Hughenden last night, their former centre, Jonno Stuart, acknowledged: ''I keep in contact with a lot of the guys and I feel for them at the moment. I've got no qualms about beating them but I was disappointed in seeing them go down so heavily against Llanelli recently.

''Scottish rugby needs them to do well in the other competitions but they are just down on confidence.''

Since Glasgow are already out of contention in this season's cross-border competitions - last night's defeat all but ended their chances of salvaging anything from their season - the revitalised Stuart's words, intended to be generous, merely rubbed it in.

The match marked the new Pro Cup's halfway stage yet it is all but over as a contest for European places as Glasgow trail Borders by seven points.

While they competed well for long periods, particularly in the forwards, the mess Glasgow's set-up is in was symbolised by their announcer and scoreboard operator not even getting the score right between them.

Borders opened proceedings with the sort of try Glasgow supporters had been used to until relatively recently. After stealing lineout ball in their own 22 they caught Glasgow completely unawares as Campbell Feather emerged from a maul then battled to halfway, Doddie Weir taking over and charging to the 22, before releasing Gareth Morton with a well-judged overhead pass to let the winger race clear.

Glasgow's defensive frailty was further demonstrated soon after when Gary Armstrong unleashed Andy Rennick from a close-range scrum and he punched a big hole in the defence before finding fellow flanker Semo Sititi on his shoulder to cruise over. Their third came after Nikki Walker got away and opted for his favoured kick and chase from Glasgow's 10-metre line.

The winger looked favourite when drawing level with Glenn Metcalfe in pursuit, but the full-back's determination got him there first. He was carried over, though, keeping the pressure on, and it was maintained until Armstrong nipped round the front of a lineout to go over in the right corner.

When Glasgow did finally respond, their inspiration came from a familiar source as Metcalfe found a superb angle inside the Borders 22 to slice his way through and ease past Vili. They were pressing for another score which would have brought them right back into the game, too, when Gregor Townsend seized upon a loose Andy Nicol pass.

His quick hands put Kevin Utterson through and Feather again made a telling contribution in support, before getting the ball away in the tackle to the unattended Morton.

Heads having gone down in previous matches, Glasgow showed some spirit, and ahead of the break the pack drove impressively over from a lineout for Andy Wilson to touch down. However, they again gifted the initiative to their opponents again immediately after it.

Briefly it had looked promising for them when smuggling the restart ball to let Metcalfe and Jonny Steel stretch the defence on the right. But when it was shifted left, Bulloch's attempted miss-pass to Stuart Moffat fell woefully short and Walker had merely to pick it up and cruise the 60 metres to the Glasgow posts.

They were given a chance to get back into the game when Armstrong was sin-binned, however it took Glasgow almost a full 10 minutes of pounded at the line to get over, Nathan Ross eventually squeezing the ball down.

That worried the Borders sufficiently that when presented with a penalty just outside the 22, they opted to kick for goal and re-establish a three- score lead.

A further nail was driven into the coffin when Gordon Simpson was penalised then sin-binned for repeatedly talking out of turn under his own posts, Vili knocking over the penalty and then another shortly afterwards as Glasgow's hopes of salvaging their season were well and truly buried.

Glasgow G Metcalfe; J Steel, I McInroy (R Kerr 60), J Naufahu, S Moffat; C Howarth (B Irving 73), A Nicol (C Black 49); D Hilton (C Blades 55), G Bulloch, A Kelly, N Ross, J White, A Wilson, D Macfadyen (R McKay 26), G Simpson

Borders T Vili; N Walker (S Longstaff 72), J Stuart (S Cranston 60), K Utterson, G Morton; G Townsend, G Armstrong (R Metcalfe 60); P Thomson, S Scott (S Gunn 72), B Douglas, D Weir, C Stewart (I Fairley 52), A Rennick, S Sititi, C Feather (M Lee 72)

Referee J-P Matheu (France)

Scoring sequence (Glasgow first): 0-7, 0-14, 0-19, 5-19, 5-26, 12-26 (half-time); 12-33, 19-33, 19-36, 19-39, 19-42

Scorers. Glasgow. Tries Metcalfe (29), Wilson (36), Ross (60) Cons Howarth (36, 60)

Borders. Tries Morton (7, 33), Sititi (15), Armstrong (25), Walker (41) Cons Vili (7, 15, 33, 41) Pens Vili (62, 74, 77)