Glasgow 19 Connacht 30Connacht continued their Celtic march last evening against Glasgow to make it a treble of victories against Scottish regional sides this season.
Connacht took their chances, defended resolutely, and produced an all-round committed display to deny the Scottish side a hat-trick of victories over Connacht in the last three Celtic League seasons.
Once again Mark McHugh can take a bow. The Connacht full back's reputation continues to grow in Scotland, twice having denied Scottish sides with an immaculate display of kicking.
Although Connacht's Paul Neville created the first chance with a great lineout and break, which was stopped short, it was the home side that had Connacht on the rack in the opening 15 minutes.
Yet Connacht took their chances when presented. Scrumhalf Mike Walls marked his first start with with an intercept try from 28 metres out. McHugh's conversion and a 32nd-minute penalty put the visitors into a 5-13 lead.
Thereafter Connacht took the the game by the scruff of the neck. Matt Mostyn claimed his first try since returning to the province from Newport when he took a Hewitt pass at pace. McHugh once again added the points before landing a 44th-minute effort to give Connacht a 5-23 half-time lead.
Connacht withstood a 10-minute battering at the start of the second-half, and survived. Their increasing confidence and appetite forced Glasgow into making mistakes and when Conor McPhillips controlled Hewitt's lateral kick ahead to touch down after 65 minutes the visitors had established a lead never to be lost.
Glasgow recovered to cross for two tries, reducing the deficit to 19-30, but even eight minutes of injury time could not deny Connacht another day of glory on the park.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 17 mins: McHugh penalty 0-3, 20: Beardshaw try 5-3; 27: M Walls try, McHugh conversion 5-10. 32: McHugh penalty 5-13; 40: M Mostyn try, McHugh conversion 5-20; 44: McHugh penalty 5-23. Half time 5-23. 65: McPhillips try, McHugh conversin 5-30; 63: Mather try, Parkes conversion 12-30; 74: Harrison try, Parks conversion 19-30.
GLASGOW: S Moffat; J Steel, G Morrison, A Bulloch, G Maclure; C Howarth, M McMillan; A Kelly, S Gunn, L Harrison, A Hall, J Beardshaw, C Mather (capt), D Macfadyen, R Reid. Replacements: D Parks for Howarth, E Murray for Kelly, P Dearlove for Reid (all 55), S Lawson for Gunn (65), D Millard for Morrison (75), K Sinclair for McMillan (79).
CONNACHT: M McHugh; C McPhillips, D Yapp, T Allnuitt (capt), W Munn; D Hewitt, M Walls; R Hogan, B Jackman, F Boiroux, D Browne, A Farley, M Swift, P Neville, J O'Sullivan. Replacements: M Mostyn for Munn (16), S Moore for Allnutt, T Carter for Browne (65), J Fogarty for Jackman (84).
Referee: N Owens (Wales).
