John Beattie was outstanding for Glasgow

The home side finally ended a six-game losing streak and gave head coach Sean Lineen his first victory in charge, but he was less than impressed with the manner of victory.

"All the rugby came from them and we had plenty of tackling practice," he said. "We made it as hard as possible for ourselves. We could not keep the ball and what ball we did get was very untidy. I am pleased with the win of course but very frustrated and disappointed with the way we played."

It was a second-half try by old stager Jon Petrie, restored to the team after being dropped earlier, and four penalties from stand-off Dan Parks that ultimately saw off the never-say-die challenge of the Welshmen, who were out on their feet by the end.

Llanelli have now lost their last seven away matches but a much better home record means they are still in contention for one of the Welsh Heineken Cup spots.

With the Borders losing to Ulster last night, Glasgow can be Scotland's second team in the competition if they beat Connacht, the only team below them in the league, in Ireland next week. Even if they do they will have to rely on another Welsh team, the Newport-Gwent Dragons, doing them a favour by beating the Borders at Netherdale.

The Scarlets opened the scoring last night when stand-off Craig Evans landed a 38-metre penalty.

But when Llanelli No 8 Alex Popham flattened Warriors hooker Fergus Thomson with an outrageously high tackle he went straight in the sinbin and Parks kicked a simple penalty to level the scores. Glasgow briefly flattered in attack. Full-back Garen Evans was caught in possession by swarming tacklers just outside his 22. He was penalised for not releasing and Parks chipped the ball over.

It was Parks' kicking that was the most penetrating part of Glasgow's play. A couple of steepling up-and-unders caused confusion in the Scarlets defence and one huge clearance kick from his own 22 set up a lineout in the other 22. From there another three points seemed inevitable when Llanelli went offside at a ruck but Parks produced his only bad kick of the game so far to push it wide.

Glasgow then won a penalty virtually on halfway but with no time left to go for touch, Parks stepped up and his long range attempt dropped inches below the bar.

One minute into the second half Llanelli were presented with an easy chance to equalise but decided to kick for the corner instead. The gamble almost paid off when centre Regan King went on the crash ball to be stopped a metre from the line, and Andy Henderson was yellow-carded when he deliberately killed the ball.

Llanelli called a scrum to go for the pushover and from the second phase prop Craig Dunlea barged his way over the line but he couldn't ground the ball. The pressure was telling and Glasgow prop Ben Prescott limped off to be replaced by Stuart Corsar. The dam was finally broken and it was hooker Aled Gravelle who claimed the try. Evans kicked the conversion.

Glasgow came storming back to set up field position for Parks to thump over a 45-metre penalty. Minutes later a 35-metre penalty put them 12-10 ahead as the game went into its last quarter.

Suddenly Glasgow were on a roll and the clever interpassing move initiated by scrum-half Colin Gregor ended with Petrie in the clear with nobody between him and the line. The conversion was missed and Glasgow continued to live dangerously.

Llanelli scrum-half Dwayne Peel was held up over the line and a second Scarlets try looked odds-on until Popham was sent off for a second yellow card offence.

Glasgow couldn't completely subdue the visitors and were badly exposed when Llanelli somehow set up a four-man overlap deep in their own half but then didn't use it and wasted the possession. When they did get it wide the Glasgow cover was ready to shunt winger Daran Daniels into touch before he could do any damage. Llanelli kept hammering away but Glasgow's brick wall defence, their best feature according to coach Lineen, just didn't crumble.

Report from The Scotsman