Heineken Cup / Glasgow 10 Bath 29: It was hardly pretty, but Bath did what was necessary in Glasgow to preserve their undefeated record in the European Cup this year.
They were in the driving seat in Pool Five but with their closest rivals for top spot, Leinster, taking on Bourgoin tomorrow, this victory was crucial if the English were to press home their advantage.
Glasgow did not have the firepower to compete after taking the lead with a Dan Parks penalty. Bath responded through the boot of Ollie Barkley after Glasgow were penalised for offside and from then on it was a stalemate until the 37th minute, Bath dominating territory and possession.
Glasgow's young backrow has been lauded recently but their inexperience was exposed when John Beattie threw the ball at a Bath player's head in a fit of pique after Stevie Swindall had knocked on and a scrum was converted to a penalty. They were fortunate Barkley pushed his long-range effort wide.
Glasgow's Dan Turner was sin-binned after straying offside and slowly the gaps in their defence began to widen. When Bath's try did come, it did so with surprising ease after Nick Walshe picked up at the back of a ruck in the right corner, nipped between two defenders and tumbled over the line. Barkley added the conversion and Bath had a seven-point half-time lead.
The writing was on the wall for Glasgow after only 30 seconds of the second half when Danny Grewcock took advantage of poor tackling to touch down behind the posts, and although they rallied with a Grant Tkachuk try after some good driving play by Turner they had given the visitors too much of a start.
Thomas Cheeseman took advantage of a three-man overlap to give the visitors a 12-point cushion and when Michael Stephenson jinked past Graeme Morrison to secure a four-try bonus point for Bath it finished off a very satisfactory evening for the visitors.
GLASGOW: Staniforth; O'Hare, Morrison, Henderson, Lamont; Parks, Beveridge; Tkachuk, Lawson, Murray, Barker, Turner, Swindall, Barclay, Beattie. Replacements: Hayter for Swindell 40 mins; Pinder for Beveridge 53 mins; Harrison for Murray 59 mins; Craig for Morrison 59-66 mins; Hamilton for Turner 65 mins; Thompson for Lawson 70 mins; Craig for O'Hara 77 mins).
Bath: Stephenson; S Finau, Higgins, Barkley, Welsh; Malone, Walshe; Barnes, Dixon, Bell, Fidler, Grewcock, Beattie, Scaysbrook, Feaunati. Replacements: Hudson for Fidler 23 mins; Cheeseman for welsh 53 mins; Stevens for Bell 61 mins; Mears for Dixon 66 mins; Williams for Walshe 72 mins; Davis for Cheeseman 80 mins.
Referee: G Clancy (Ireland).
Guardian Service
