Flavin try seals victory

Connacht 10 Glasgow 6:Connacht claimed a hard-fought but merited win over Glasgow Warriors last night at the Galway Sportsground, putting last weekend's poor result against Ulster behind them. It was a win carved from solid forward play and an excellent defence.

Connacht laid the platform in the first half when they turned around 7-3 up as they dominated possession. Connacht's aggression at the breakdown was crucial and while Glasgow's backs got little room to manoeuvre, John Muldoon and Conor O'Loughlin provided surging runs to raise the spirits on a bitterly cold, wet evening.

Glasgow failed to utilise the wind, while Andy Dunne, in his first start of the season, and Gavin Duffy kept Glasgow pinned back. It took 20 minutes before the Warriors scored and that came from a Dan Parks 26th-minute penalty on the 10-metre line. But for the next 20 minutes it was all Connacht. Michael Swift's tackle on Thom Evans provided the initiative with a penalty to touch and Connacht had Glasgow under pressure from the lineout and maul.

Connacht won a penalty from Treviranus Ofisa's left wing break, and although Dunne's attempt went wide, they wrested the initiative when Mel Deane put the Glasgow defence under pressure. Two minutes into injury time Connacht's penalty to touch reaped rewards when hooker Adrian Flavin took the pass on the blind to force his way through for a try. Dunne's conversion gave Connacht an unlikely lead given the conditions.

The Warriors reduced the deficit to 7-6 with a penalty, but Dunne replied with a 61st-minute effort when Opeta Paliepoi was caught in possession from Ray Ofisa's tackle. Glasgow began to make inroads in the Connacht defence through centre Andrew Henderson. A couple of missed lineouts and mistakes gave Glasgow possession, but the Connacht defence was superb.

Connacht had the chance to extend the lead with a Dunne drop-goal and a 77th-minute penalty, but both went wide. The Warriors had a last-ditch opportunity but the pressure from Connacht forced replacement centre Scott Barrow to knock-on, ensuring a Connacht victory.

CONNACHT: G Duffy, O Treviranus, D Yapp, M Deane, A Wynne, A Dunne, C O'Loughlin, B Wilkinson, A Flavin, R Morris, M Swift, A Farley (capt), M McCarthy, J O'Connor, J Muldoon. Replacements: R Ofisa for McCarthy, C McPhillips for O'Loughlin (61 mins), M McCarthy for O'Connor (64 mins), J Fgoarty for Flavin (68 mins), D Gannon for Swfit (78 mins).

GLASGOW: B Stortoni, L Fa'Atau, G Morrison, A Henderson, T Evans, D Parks, C O'Young, J Va'a, F Thomson, M Low, A Newman, A Kellock (capt), K Brown, J Barclay, J Beattie. Replacements: H O'Hare for Evans (half-time), S Pinder for O'Young (half-time), J Eddie for Brown (53 mins), S Barrow for Henderson (78 mins), M Collins for Va'a (78 mins), D Hall for Thomson (78 mins).

Referee: Neil Ballard (Wales).