Dragons win dour affair

Wales coach Gareth Jenkins and his assistant Nigel Davies made the trip to a rain-soaked Newport to check over a couple of candidates to help his side ahead of next weekend's crunch RBS 6 Nations Championship clash with Italy in Rome.

But, with a pitch that resembled a swimming pool, there was little chance of any flowing rugby as the ball resembled the proverbial bar of soap.

Warriors fly-half Dan Parks had the chance to put Glasgow ahead after only two minutes but missed a 40-metre penalty that dipped under the crossbar.

But the Dragons thought they had the first try of the night after 15 minutes as they won ruck ball near the visiting posts for prop forward Adam Black to catch the Scotsmen cold and dive over from five metres.

But Irish referee George Clancey called the move back for a scrum five, indicating that Black had knocked the ball in the motion of touching down despite the prop claiming otherwise.

Glasgow replied with a good kick downfield from Parks earning the Warriors territory. And, when the Dragons made an error 35 metres out, the number 10's lopsided penalty somehow crawled over to put the first points on the board.

Yet it took a sterling effort from Glasgow skipper Alastair Kellock and his men to keep the Dragons at bay until everyone retreated to the sanctuary of a dry changing room at half-time with the visitors 3-0 up.

A chance went begging after the break for Glasgow when Parks sent over a cross-kick to the corner which ran into touch in goal as wing Tom Evans chased in vain for the touchdown.

The Dragons beat a path back up field soon after and, when Glasgow went offside at a ruck under their posts, Wales international back Ceri Sweeney, at fly-half, booted the simplest of three points from a few yards out.

Glasgow did not help themselves either when, pinned down in their own 22, flanker John Beattie was sin-binned just after the hour for persistent offside in the loose.

The final surge, though, saw Sweeney hammer home a second penalty of the night as the final 10 minutes approached.

And, as they pressed heavily and Glasgow were finding it harder and harder to get out of their own half, the home side were rewarded when Sweeney cross-kicked towards the left corner for Wales wing Aled Brew to charge through the puddles and dive in to score.

Sweeney's conversion from the touchline was superb and was fittingly the last action of a match which was lucky not to have been called off.