Sport

Connacht concede try at the death for draw

Connacht 19 Glasgow Warriors 19: NEITHER SIDE will be satisfied with this

LINLEY MACKENZIE at the Sportsground
Sat Mar 06 2010 - 00:00

Connacht 19 Glasgow Warriors 19:NEITHER SIDE will be satisfied with this. With Glasgow needing the points to stay in contention for the play-offs, and with away fixtures to Leinster and Munster, Sean Lineen needed his second-string side to maintain the pressure for a top-four.

Connacht will look at their inability to take advantage of a Warriors outfit shorn of some 10 front-line players on international duty.

Having fought their way back into contention and taken a 70th-minute lead, Connacht then conceded a try at the death.

And ultimately Connacht were lucky to come away with the two points. Had replacement outhalf Colin Gregor not missed the conversion of Eddie James’ effort, it would been a truly dispiriting day.

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Referee James Jones played a big role with 15 penalties awarded in the opening half – six to the visitors in the opening 26 minutes.

Connacht, continually pinged at the breakdown, struggled to build momentum when they did get their hands on the ball.

A Warriors side that continued to test the offside rule finally conceded a kickable penalty which Ian Keatley struck from 35 metres out after 23 minutes.

Glasgow, with a solid lineout, enjoyed the majority of possession. Number eight Richie Vernon impressed, but their attacks lacked potency and Connacht’s defence was well able for them.

They, too, were forced to rely on outhalf Ruaridh Jackson for their scores, with a 12th minute effort and a second 14 minutes later.

It did not get any better for the home side after the break. George Naoupu’s knock-on directly from the kick-off handed Glasgow the initiative and Jackson extended the lead, and he should have added a fourth two minutes later when Mike McCarthy was sinbinned.

And when Canadian international wing Daniel van der Merwe got through the cover on the left it looked all over for the home side.

Amazingly they fought their way back with a Keatley penalty after 51 minutes, and had Keith Matthews spotted Carr in support after a superb break through the middle the recovery would have come earlier.

The reward, however, was a third Keatley penalty before Gavin Duffy finished off a forward surge with a 70th-minute try. The Irish A fullback did well to weave through the cover to touch down under the posts. Keatley’s conversion put them in front.

With the Warriors flanker Calum Forrester sinbinned, Connacht, holding the initiative, should have closed out the game. Instead they opted for a 77th-minute penalty kick which Keatley converted, but from the kick-off Glasgow produced a final attack with James crossing in the left corner. It was scant reward for either side.

CONNACHT: Duffy; Nathan, Matthews, Wynne, Carr; Keatley, F Murphy; Wilkinson, Cronin, Hagan, Swift, McCarthy, Muldoon, O’Connor, Naoupu. Replacements: Morris for Hagan (41 mins), Upton for Swift (58 mins), McComish for O’Connor (62 mins). Not used: Flavin, Nikora, O’Loughlin, Tuohy. Sinbin: McCarthy (42 mins)

GLASGOW: Stortoni; Shaw, Murchie, Horne, van der Merwe; Jackson, McMillan; Welsh, Hall, Kalman, Barker, Turner, Eddie, Forrester, Vernon. Replacements: Tkachuk for Kalman, Gray for Barker (both 53 mins), O’Hare for van der Merwe, Gregor for Jackson (both 65 mins), Kinloch for Shaw (72 mins). Not used: Thomson, Fusaro. Sinbin: Forrester (75 mins).

Referee: James Jones (WRFU).