Sam Pinder's quick thinking was rewarded with a score under the posts which left the Scarlets stunned.

The script was surely meant to record a Scarlets victory. Glasgow believed otherwise and produced the best Scottish rugby performance of the season at any level to emerge triumphant and worthy victors. Their two flying international wings, brothers Rory and Sean Lamont, deserve the plaudits by claiming five tries between them, although they were not alone in clinching only their second away victory of the season.

Skipper Jon Petrie was a giant for the Scots, while centres Andy Craig and Andrew Henderson regularly carved out openings in the Scarlets’ over-stretched defence.

The match was remarkable in its movement, much of it caused by sloppy and inaccurate play which, nevertheless, created huge excitement and resulted in a dozen tries being scored.

Stradey Park is a tough place to conquer and the Scarlets lose very few at home, although Glasgow have now done so twice since the Celtic clashes started back in 2001.

Dwayne Peel, a cert to be included in Sir Clive Woodward’s British & Irish Lions squad tomorrow, was back in the driving seat for the Scarlets, teasing, probing and orchestrating matters for the home side in his own busy style.

His now trademark tap-and-run from a penalty award in the early minutes opened up the visitors’ defence, but an infringement at the breakdown gave Dan Parks a chance to open the scoring from fully 55 metres. The wind-assisted kick was a beauty, as indeed was his second, again from just inside his own half after five minutes.

Parks and Calvin Howarth used the strong wind intelligently with some long, searching kicks that kept Glasgow on the offensive. From a close-range scrum, Petrie breached the first line of defence, with flanker Steve Swindall patiently waiting for his chance to pounce for a try at the posts which Parks converted.

Gaining territory was a different matter for the Scarlets, who were forced to keep the ball in hand using the bulk of John Davies, Andy Powell and Salesi Finau to exert pressure. Fly-half Gareth Bowen kicked an easy penalty just before the Scarlets created their opening try, retaining possession expertly and working Aisea Havili over in the corner.

In a generally scrappy albeit entertaining match, Parks slotted his third penalty before the Scarlets raised the ante with a superb try from deep in their own half. Peel was released by Powell, and the scrum-half broke and fed the supporting Tal Selley on the right wing, who sprinted the last 30 metres for the touchdown.

Glasgow worked the touchline and from an attacking lineout and their secure possession they eventually went blind for Rory Lamont to beat the covering Gavin Thomas and cross for Glasgow’s second try.

Resolute Glasgow turned the tables on the Scarlets minutes before the interval when it seemed that the home side were bound to score; instead, Sean Lamont intercepted on his own goal-line and sprinted the full length of the pitch to score at the posts, Parks converting to extend the visitors’ advantage.

The Scarlets were grateful for the first-half stoppage time as they eventually worked second-row Chris Wyatt over for a try that brought them to within 10 points of a creative Glasgow team.

Soon after the interval, Rory Lamont silenced the home crowd as he stepped inside a fragile Scarlets cover for his second converted try, only to be outdone by a blistering 60m special from Sean.

Scrum-half Sam Pinder claimed Glasgow’s sixth try after a length-of-the-field counter-attack and Rory Lamont sealed matters at the death. The Scarlets claimed two late consolation tries through full-back Barry Davies and a second for winger Havili.

The controlling Parks ended with 22 points to rub salt into a gaping wound and inflict one of the heaviest defeats experienced by the Scarlets as a regional outfit.

You can see photos from the game here