Glasgow display doggedness to edge gruelling contest with Scarlets

It wasn’t pretty but Glasgow Warriors found a way to win at home to Scarlets in the United Rugby Championship.

The reigning champions trailed for the majority of the game at Scotstoun on Friday night, but a late Duncan Weir penalty secured a 17-15 victory and consolidated second place in the table behind Leinster.

Scarlets led though an early Ioan Lloyd penalty before captain Josh Macleod touched down off the back of a dominant line-out maul to make it 8-0.

Warriors, who were without the likes of Sione Tuipulotu, Huw Jones, Rory Darge and the Fagerson brothers after their Autumn Nations Series exploits for Scotland, responded but failed to convert several chances into points.

It wasn’t until late in the first half that hooker Johnny Matthews powered over from close range to begin the comeback and make it a one-point game in the visitors’ favour at the break.

But Scarlets wrestled the momentum back in the second period and extended their advantage to 15-7 when Ioan Nicholas burst through a hole in the Glasgow defence at the end of a slick move.

Roared on by the Scotstoun faithful, Glasgow hit back immediately. Matthews peeled off a line-out maul to get within a metre of bagging a double, before Henco Venter went over a few phases later.

The conversion made it a one-point game once again and set up a thrilling final 30 minutes, but the encounter was ultimately decided by a Weir penalty in the 65^th minute following a sustained period of pressure by the hosts.

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Lloyd had a chance with little more than two minutes on the clock to win it for Scarlets but the 23-year-old dragged his effort wide as Glasgow hung on to take the spoils.

Glasgow are in Champions Cup action next as they welcome Sale Sharks before taking on Toulon and returning to URC action with a fascinating clash at home to Edinburgh in the 1872 derby.