Johnnie Beattie rounded off a fine performance with Glasgow's second try

The Welsh region had won their previous six meetings but Parks' 11-point haul and tries from Thom Evans and Johnnie Beattie secured victory for Glasgow.

Sam Warburton scored a late consolation for the hosts as the flanker benefited from a neat Bradley Davies off-load.

But Glasgow hung on for a 21-5 win, their first away victory of the season.

The Blues were without a host of injured players such as Jamie Roberts, Xavier Rush, Ben Blair and Maama Molika as well as Lions Martyn Williams and Gethin Jenkins.

And Dai Young's side were clearly missing their stars as they fell behind early on as Parks twice ensured the Blues paid the penalty for indiscipline.

It should have been more as the Australian-born Scottish international missed two other kicks as the sloppy hosts struggled defensively as well as lacking attacking guile and a cutting edge.

Although it was one of their Wales stars Andy Powell, the rampaging number eight, that almost created a break for the Blues on the half-hour as he cut through the Glasgow defence with a run but he could not set Warburton free.

The flanker was held up with the try-line in sight as Parks showed his defensive side is as impressive as his usually reliable right boot.

And it was Park's aforementioned foot that chipped the ball over the flat-footed Blues defence in injury time at the end of the first-half to set up the opening try.

Scrum-half Colin Gregor's pass was kicked through by Parks for Scottish wing Thom Evans to touch down his first try of the season.

Parks missed the conversion - as well as three penalties just before and after the interval - as the Blues were fortunate that the game was not over before half-time.

Powell and fit-again Wales team-mate Tom Shanklin, still returning to full match fitness after a shoulder operation, were the often-blunt Blues' main attacking threat.

But it was during a Blues attack that Glasgow broke away for their second try as replacement Darren Morris' first action was to drop a Ceri Sweeney pass - an error which led to a try for Warriors number eight Beattie.

Moray Low kicked the lose ball clear - following Morris' spill - and Evans unsurprisingly out-paced Blues hooker Gareth Williams to set-up number eight Beattie a clear run to the try-line.

While the Cardiff side lacked ideas and leaders, they continued to battle and Powell almost crashed over for a try but was held up just short thanks to some heroics Warriors defending.

From the resulting ruck, Robin Sowden-Taylor was set free down the left wing but the Wales flanker was blocked - although the Blues kept the ball alive to score.

Davies burst through a gap in the Glasgow back-line and as the ball threatened to fall out of his grasp, he flicked the ball back into Warburton's hands as the promising former Wales youth captain scored his first career try.

But it was too little, too late as it was Blues by name, Blues by nature for last season's Heineken Cup semi-finalists - who have won just once this term - especially when makeshift full-back Leigh Halfpenny missed the relatively straight-forward conversion.

"It was a great win, credit to Dan and it was also Thom's best game for us this season by a mile," said a delighted captain, Ally Kellock, afterwards.

"Dan can control a game well – we want to play expansive rugby but in the conditions we needed to get in the corners while our lineout and scrum were going really well.

"Thom also caused panic for them which really lifts the rest of our team when we see him chasing a kick."

Match report from The Sunday Herald

Match report from The Scotland on Sunday