Sport

Connacht left to rue slow start

Glasgow 34 Connacht 20: CONNACHT’S ATTEMPT to translate European success to the Magners League came unstuck in Firhill last …

Sat Oct 24 2009 - 01:00

Glasgow 34 Connacht 20:CONNACHT'S ATTEMPT to translate European success to the Magners League came unstuck in Firhill last night, despite a sterling second-half display. They looked out of it minutes before half-time as the Warriors had bagged their third try and led by 24-12.

However, Fionn Carr ran in from 40 metres to put Connacht within striking distance at 27-20 in the 69th minute, but Glasgow finished off with a fourth try, and bonus point, with left wing Thom Evans grabbing his second and the fourth try three minutes later.

Warriors’ Max Evans crossed for a third-minute try after scrumhalf Chris Cusiter set up field position. Connacht’s Ian Keatley hit a drop goal but as they struggled at the breakdown, the Warriors capitalised, and Parks kicked one of three penalty attempts.

Although Keatley cancelled the effort on 19 minutes, Glasgow dominated possession as John Beattie charged through to score under the posts, with Parks converting. Thom Evans grabbed the third try when another hole opened up. Before the break Connacht started to keep the ball and in their second foray into the 22 Cusiter conceded the penalty which Keatley struck, and he added another to make it 24-12 at the interval.

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Connacht had started to get a grip on proceedings, doing so without Andrew Browne, who was pinged for offside and yellow carded. When Carr scored Connacht’s only try, which Keatley failed to convert, it looked like Connacht might stage a recovery but that was as close as they could get.

GLASGOW WARRIORS: B Stortoni, C Shaw, M Evans, G Morrison, T Evans, D Parks, C Cusiter, J Welsh, D Hall, M Low, R Gray, A Kellock (capt), K Brown, J Barclay, J Beattie. Replacements: R Vernon for Beattie, K Tkachuck for Welsh and D Turner for Gray, M McMillan for Custer, C Gregor for Parks.

CONNACHT: G Duffy, T Nathan, N Ta'auso, K Matthews, F Carr, I Keatley, F Murphy, B Wilkinson, S Cronin, J Hagan, M Swift, B Upton, M McCarthy, J O'Connor, M McCarthy. Replacements: R Morris for Wilkinson, A Browne for Swift, R Ofisa for J O'Connor.

Referee: Tim Hayes (Wales).