Nathan McBeth went over for Glasgow's second try

Franco Smith's side ran in four tries with Stafford McDowall opening the scoring after a sharp attacking move finished under the posts. Ulster responded with a double from Zac Ward before Nathan McBeth powered over from close range and George Horne added a third just before half-time to give the Warriors a 21-12 lead at the break.

Glasgow lost returning forward Gregor Brown but Euan Ferrie made an impressive contribution off the bench.

The home side battled back in the second half, with Ethan McIlroy and Jack Murphy crossing to briefly put Ulster ahead heading into the closing stages.

But Glasgow had the final say. A superb quick pass from Dan Lancaster created the opportunity for Kyle Rowe, who finished brilliantly in the corner with just minutes remaining to seal a hard-fought win in Belfast and confirm the Warriors as top seeds for the URC playoffs.

Franco Smith praised his Glasgow Warriors side for showing belief and composure in their dramatic comeback win over Ulster, a result that secured top spot in the URC standings.

"It's an excellent win," said the Warriors head coach.

"The fact that the boys stuck to the process until the end is fantastic. The belief that's needed going into the play-offs had to be tested and that was brilliant.

"The way that they stuck to the task and the script and even the bench that came on was aligned, which means that we're all singing from the same hymn sheet."

Glasgow had taken control early with three first-half tries to open up a 21-12 lead at the interval, but Ulster responded strongly after the break to set up a tense finish.

Smith was full of praise for the challenge posed by the hosts.

"These guys are going to play in the final of the Challenge Cup. They haven't lost here against us for 13 years. They just beat the Stormers last week. They are a fantastic outfit, well coached. They are hard to beat here, regardless of what team. So massive.

"It is the toughest URC of the five that's been played. If you look at the points on the log, to end on top of the pile here with a difficult venue like it is, it's a lot of compliment.

"To walk away with a win is fantastic."

The only concern on an otherwise memorable evening was an early injury to Gregor Brown. The forward, making his return after being injured on Scotland duty during the Six Nations, was forced off after just 15 minutes.

"We don't have full details yet," Smith said when asked about Brown's condition.

Kyle Steyn also left the field after taking a knock, while Matt Fagerson was withdrawn before kick-off and several other Warriors players finished the game carrying bumps and bruises.

Despite the injury concerns, Smith expects the majority of his squad to be fit for the quarter-final in two weeks' time.

"Most of the other guys can be available for selection.

"We're going to work hard next week to get them on par. That's going to make my job very tough selecting the team to play in the quarter-finals."