Ulster’s first home tie of the 2013/14 season ended in calamity as a six-point lead evaporated in the dying seconds, allowing Glasgow Warriors to win by the narrowest of margins.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: ULSTER 12 GLASGOW WARRIORS 13
Mark Anscombe’s men performed well for the majority of the match, with Paddy Jackson kicking accurately, and three second half raids falling just inches short of the Warriors’ try-line.
However, the visitors’ tenacity and endurance shone through and they reaped the benefits as Ulster switched off right on 80 minutes, James Eddie driving over for the game’s solitary try.
Glasgow enjoyed five minutes of supremacy straight from the kick-off and with Ulster penalised for a high tackle metres from their line, full-back Stuart Hogg kicked the first points of the encounter from wide on the left.
Jackson did not enjoy the best of nights from the kicking tee at Rodney Parade last week, but he settled any nerves with the equaliser here two minutes later.
As Ulster forced their way into the game, rapid passing from Jackson, Jared Payne et al in midfield carved out a threatening position well within the Glasgow 22, the move illegally brought to an end by an deliberate Glasgow knock on of an Ulster pass.
Jackson dispatched the central kick to nudge his side into a deserved 6-3 lead, and the young Ireland international extended it further on 22 minutes with another penalty from distance.
DTH van der Merwe could – and perhaps should – have answered back for the Warriors three minutes later, but somehow the big winger misjudged his dive on the ball after smartly dribbling on Henry Pyrgos’ chip through.
The Canadian international dropped onto the ball a second before it crossed the line, and the tracking Payne was alert enough to clear his lines. An Ulster offside on 28 minutes, however, allowed Hogg to slot over his second kick of the night for 9-6.
A misfiring Glasgow lineout on the half hour mark made a present of the ball for an unsuspecting Rob Herring as it looped well over all the jumpers and into his hands, but as Ulster struggled sluggishly to advance from his drive forward, another Glasgow infringement came at the right moment and Jackson gratefully knocked over his fourth successful kick.
There was still enough time in the first half for Hogg to take a punt at goal from just inside the Ulster half, but the 2013 Lion dragged his penalty just wide of the left hand upright.
Ulster’s most fluent move of the match thus far came as the second period opened, Dan Tuohy acrobatically seizing Jackson’s prodded kick on and supplying Herring who displayed a much better turn of pace than he had in the first half in a similar position.
Glasgow defended stoutly and eventually forced David McIlwaine out of play with the ball, but another overthrow at their lineout put the visitors directly back under the cosh.
The Ulster attack ultimately came to nothing. After soaking up five minutes of Glaswegian pressure, a breakaway spearheaded by captain Johann Muller and the increasingly effective Herring would have heralded the first try of the evening had it not been for an unlucky knock on by Michael Allen as he hared for the line.
Undeterred, Ulster swiftly won back possession from a now flailing Glasgow side. Last season’s beaten finalists had another very close call on the hour mark when Luke Marshall dropped the ball as he crossed the whitewash after an outstanding feint inside from Jackson.
McIlwaine had another near miss just moments later. Some sterling work from replacement scrum half Paul Marshall set up the try-scoring chances, but McIlwaine was well held up by former Ulster back Tommy Seymour.
The home crowd at the new-look Ravenhill were left wondering if any of this Ulster pressure would translate into points and a first victory of the new league season.
Jackson had a chance to add a further three points on 68 minutes after a prolonged spell camped inside the Glasgow 22, but crucially he suffered his first miscue of the night to leave the visitors a mere six points adrift.
Althoug Glasgow had prop Moray Low sin-binned for deliberate obstruction of a pass, Ulster were the ones left struggling in the final minutes. They had to defend a dangerous five-metre scrum after failing to clear their lines as the Warriors probed.
Although they survived on the first occasion, Ulster clearly failed to heed the warning and Glasgow replacement Eddie resisted a handful of tackles to force his way over the line in what proved to be the very last action of open play.
Hogg secured the smash-and-grab victory for the Scots courtesy of the simplest conversion from in front of the posts and to the general dismay of the Ravenhill faithful, referee Ian Davies adjudged there to be insufficient time for a restart.
It made for a disappointing end to the first competitive fixture at the revamped Ravenhill. Ulster have some early ground to make up, sitting in the lower echelons of the table on a meagre two losing bonus points with two games played.
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