Cardiff Blues salvaged a losing bonus-point after Glasgow Warriors pounced for two early tries in the Guinness PRO14.
The Scots made a blistering start at Scotstoun Stadium and claimed their two tries in two minutes thanks to Callum Gibbins and Nick Frisby to open up an early 14-0 lead.
It appeared ominous but Aled Summerhill responded instantly and Wales’ Capital Region threatened throughout the entire encounter.
Jarrod Evans kept the scoreboard ticking to make it 14-10 at the break and he exchanged further penalties with Brandon Thomson after the break.
They displayed remarkable grit and determination as they weathered a storm for much of the second-half but they also had opportunities of their own and will be disappointed not to take a first win in Glasgow since 2013.
Wales’ Capital Region are next in action against Ulster at Ravenhill in two weeks’ time with the PRO14 taking a break during the World Cup quarter-finals.
Following successive defeats in the opening two fixtures, Glasgow Warriors came flying out of the blocks at their home match. Alarm bells were ringing within a minute as Nick Grigg made an early break.
The Kiwi centre was unable to create a try, but the Scots set up camp in the Blues’ 22 for the next five minutes and they turned pressure into points at the second time of asking with a driving lineout, which pivoted from left, to right, allowing captain Callum Gibbins to touch down.
Brandon Thomson knocked over the extras to give his side an early 7-0 lead and within two minutes they had scored their second. That had been under pressure in their own 22 when Grant Stewart bounced out of contact to break out and a series of offloads put them in the ascent.
Thomson was clattered in midfield but just as contact was made, he managed to slip the ball to Grigg on a sumptuous inside line and the centre found Australian scrum-half in support for the try.
Thomson was once again on target to give his side a 14-0 lead in a flash and leave the Blues shell-shocked. Mulvihill’s men quickly regained their composure however, and within two minutes they hit-back with a try of their own.
A turnover penalty from Olly Robinson laid the platform and a driving lineout failed to bear fruit, the ball was spread wide and a delightfully delayed pass from Evans put Summerhill through a hole and the wing beat one defender to claim his first five-points of the season.
Evans knocked over the conversion and he was back on target 10 minutes later as he cut the deficit to 14-10.
Both teams continued to threaten in attack, with Cardiff Blues perhaps enjoying the better opportunities but the experience of Frisby continually pinned Wales’ Capital Region back from turnover ball.
The Blues dominated much of the final 10 minutes of the half, but they were unable to add points to the board as Glasgow clung on and it remained 14-10 at the break.
Glasgow added an early penalty in the second-half after Will Boyde was harshly penalised at the breakdown but it was soon chalked off as Evans slotted his second penalty of the night just a minute later.
From the restart the hosts set up camp deep in Cardiff Blues territory and they threw the kitchen sink at Mulvihill’s side, who held strong. They endured wave after wave of attack with Glasgow held up over the line on one occasion.
The Blues had the opportunity to hit back when they ripped through Glasgow with a razor-sharp attack that saw Jason Tovey put Summerhill on the outside. He beat two defenders before Glasgow’s cover defence saved the day and the opportunity was lost when over-zealous handling saw the ball go over the head of Seb Davies.
The Scots continued to dominate both territory and possession for the majority of the half, with Wales’ Capital Region defending heroically. They were dealt a blow when Rory Thornton was sent to the sin-bin after tackling Ruardhi Jackson in the air but still the Blues held strong.
Glasgow went for the jugular at the death but the Blues clung on and had one last opportunity to snatch a victory but individual errors again proved costly.