Gloucester avenge Firhill loss

A commanding second half performance saw Gloucester overturn a six point half-time deficit to seal a 19-6 Heineken Cup win over Glasgow on Sunday.

After a shaky opening 40 minutes the West Country men stamped their authority on the game to run in two tries and exorcise the ghosts of last week's defeat by their Pool Two rivals.

Glasgow dominated at the breakdown during the first period while fly-half Dan Parks kept the score ticking over to take the visitors into half time with a six-point lead.

But what the hosts had lacked in coherency before the break they more than made up for after it, controlling the contact area and tightening their stranglehold further on the match as it progressed.

Gloucester, keen to avenge last week's 33-11 defeat at Firhill, looked to pressurise their Scottish visitors at every opportunity.

But they struggled to find consistency and it was down to Glasgow to put the first points on the board after 12 minutes courtesy of Parks.

When flanker Andy Hazell was sin-binned inside his own 22, the fly-half stepped up and slotted between the sticks to put the visitors 3-0 up.

Pressure

Glasgow, however, were unable to make their man advantage pay and it wasn't until the 26th minute that Parks added three more with an expertly taken drop goal.

Ten minutes later Gloucester were penalised again for hands in at the ruck but this time Parks saw his 49-metre penalty attempt drift narrowly wide.

The half closed out with the hosts again trying to pile on the pressure and through 10 phases of play they battled their way into the Scots' 22.

But their failure to find any rhythm once again saw another Gloucester attack fizzle out to leave the visitors leading 6-0 at the break.

Three minutes after the restart and Nicky Robinson finally opened the hosts account, although he needed a certain amount of luck to help him.

The Welsh fly-half made it 6-3 with a long range effort from just inside the Gloucester half that bounced off the crossbar on its way through the posts.

Good work by the Gloucester scrum was rewarded with another penalty seven minutes later and Robinson made no mistake with a straightforward kick to make it six apiece.

Terrific

Gloucester's try came in the 58th minute thanks to some fantastic running from the backs and a neat offload by James Simpson-Daniel.

Collecting the ball wide on the right, winger Charlie Sharples skipped down the touchline and barged his way through three defenders to touch down in the corner.

Robinson's 39-metre touchline conversion drifted wide to leave the scores at 11-6 but he added three more on 65 minutes to extend the lead to 14-6.

Five minutes later came Gloucester's second - a terrific break and sublime pass back inside from Olly Morgan releasing Sharples, who was brought down just inches short of the line.

But the recycled ball found Alex Brown lurking on the touchline and the big lock flopped over for the try.

Robinson was unable to add the extras but with Gloucester holding a 13-point advantage and now firmly in control there would be no way back for the visitors.

Sharples went over again in the very last play but the referee called a forward pass and disallowed the score.

But that did not dampen the celebrations at Kingsholm after their convincing win kept the West Country men's Heineken Cup dreams alive.