Glasgow shoot down Ospreys
Ospreys suffered their first defeat in the RaboDirect PRO12, going down 28-17 to Glasgow at Firhill.
Last Updated: 28/10/11 10:36pm
Duncan Weir kicked 23 points to help Glasgow record a hard-fought 28-17 victory over the Ospreys at Firhill.
A try from lock Richie Gray and the accurate boot of fly-half Weir proved enough for the hosts to hand the Ospreys their first loss of the season.
All the visitors' points coming from Matthew Morgan, including a try in the final minute that the fly-half was unable to convert.
The first half was a relatively drab affair, with neither side truly clicking behind the scrum. With little threat with ball in hand, the contest became a kicking duel between Weir and his opposite number Morgan.
Confident
Weir got his side on the scoreboard in the opening minute, confidently nudging a penalty effort between the uprights.
Within minutes the scores were level, an infringement at the scrum handing Morgan with the opportunity to draw the scores level. He duly obliged before notching three further penalties, the last of which was a mammoth strike from deep inside the Ospreys' half.
Weir reduced the deficit with the final kick of the opening 40 half, holding his nerve despite having seen a similar attempt moments earlier come crashing back off the post.
He added another penalty in the second half, the Ospreys being penalised for straying offside, before the turning point in the game came on the hour mark.
Stuart Hogg made a break only to be unceremoniously strangled to the floor by Ospreys replacement Richard Hibbard, the prop's hit leading to him being sent to the sin-bin.
Heavy pressure
Glasgow quickly succeeded in exploiting their one-man advantage, Scotland second-rower Gray sliding over to touch down in the corner for a converted score following a period of heavy pressure.
The try knocked the wind out of the visitors and the Warriors, spurred on by a vocal home crowd, looked to reaffirm their advantage.
Weir landed a further two penalties before the re-introduction of Hibbard stemmed the flow slightly, although James Eddie came close to adding a second try, the replacement being bundled into touch just short of the line.
A seventh penalty from Weir in the closing minutes put the result beyond any doubt, meaning Morgan's try was nothing more than a late consolation.
