Visitors are miles better

Pens: Parks 2. Con: Parks.

Tries: Boss, Harrison.

Pens: Humpreys 5.

Con: Humphreys.

THE PA announcer chastised the Ulster fans for getting to their feet in the Firhill stand, but it was Glasgow's failure to stand up on the pitch that had a greater influence on the outcome. Only when the match had begun to look suspiciously like a lost cause did we see anything resembling fight or real devil from Glasgow. Even that, though, was a fitting motif for their season as a whole: much too little, much too late.

The statistics measure the difference between the two sides as nothing more than the five penalties landed by Ulster's David Humphreys against the two claimed by Glasgow's Dan Parks. In reality, though, Ulster were miles ahead in terms of composure, controlling their own possession and where the game would be played. They will kick themselves for losing two second-half tries to Glasgow, for they were far better than the final scoreline suggested.

If it seemed harsh that Glasgow should trail 18-3 at the end of a first period in which they had always fronted up to the physicality of their opponents, the margin still reflected their lack of sharpness and precision in the Ulster half. Glasgow played some nice rugby, but they were maddeningly sloppy whenever it looked as if they had the means and the field position to create a genuine opening. Worse still, their shortcomings were made all the more apparent by the efficiency of Ulster's finishing.

That disparity was first made obvious when the Irishmen won a lineout a few yards short of the Glasgow line in the 21st minute. Ulster had already nudged themselves ahead with a third minute penalty by David Humphreys, and Glasgow braced themselves for a driven maul when Roger Wilson, the impressive No 8, resecured possession. However, Wilson set up a ruck instead, and as Glasgow scrambled to defend they missed the fact that scrumhalf Isaac Boss was shooting over for the opening try.

Had the laws been changed to allow forward passing, Hefin O'Hare, the Glasgow centre, might have collected a couple of first-half tries, but he was called back by referee Tim Hayes on the two occasions he set off towards the line with the ball. Glasgow did get some points when an offside award allowed Parks to clip a penalty over after 31 minutes, but that foothold was effectively obliterated when Scott Lawson was penalised for failing to release.

The kick was beyond Humphreys' range, but Lawson's petulance in throwing the ball away advanced the position 10 metres, and the former Irish international fly-half duly slammed the ball home.

Glasgow may have felt they could regroup from a 10point deficit, but their task became harder in what was almost the final move of the first half. Ulster won possession at a lineout 15 metres out from the Glasgow line, setting up the maul from which lock Justin Harrison emerged with their second try just a few moments later.

Glasgow tried to inject some vigour by bringing on John Beattie and John Barclay to fill the flanker berths, and there was certainly a greater urgency about their play in the early stages of the second half. It was rewarded 12 minutes in when Beattie ploughed over for a try after a clever interchange with Jon Beattie, but Parks' failure to convert, coupled with two more Humphreys penalties, meant Ulster had actually increased their lead by the hour mark.

Yet just when it seemed that the steam was going out of Glasgow, they found new reserves and churned back into the Ulster half again.

Granted, they were aided by a naive turnover by their opponents, but they responded with alacrity. The ball was shovelled back to Sam Pinder, and a precise pass from the scrum-half found O'Hare, arrowing though on the perfect diagonal to carry on for the try.

Ulster, however, are nothing if not streetwise, and they soon tightened up their act to extinguish the Glasgow revival.

Humphreys rifled his fifth successful penalty between the sticks to lever open the margin again, and the game was finally up for Glasgow.

Sean Lineen, their new coach, has a difficult job ahead.

Glasgow: G Staniforth; R Lamont, H O'Hare, A Henderson, C Shaw; D Parks, S Pinder; K Tkachuk, S Lawson, E Murray, D Turner, C Hamilton, A Wilson, D Macfadyen, J Petrie. Subs used: F Thomson, B Prescott, J Eddie, J Beattie, J Barclay, C Howarth.

Ulster: B Cunningham; T Bowe, A Trimble, J Bell, A Maxwell; D Humphreys, I Boss; B Young, R Best, S Best, J Harrison, M McCullough, N Best, S Ferris, R Wilson. Subs used: J Fitzpatrick, N McMillan, J Topping.

Referee: T Hayes, WRFU.