THE defiance and ambition of the Dragons drove them on to a vital first win in the opening round of the Heineken Cup. Tom Willis and his unflagging team won in the knowledge that they dare not relax against a Warriors team whose fire never died.

Willis, Colin Charvis and the rangy Luke Charteris anchored the Dragons effort and fly-half James Arlidge contributed 17 points with his unerring boot. Glasgow’s ambition is to reach the quarter-finals for the first time and in the wake of this defeat they must remember that they were well in the mix for much of the match.

The Dragons deserved to score within the first two minutes, but Phil Dollman lost the ball as he attempted to touch down under the posts.

Newport maintained that early pressure until a pass from Arlidge to Rory Sidey was snapped up by the Warriors wing Lome Fa’atau, who ran the length of the pitch to score after five minutes. Colin Gregor extended the lead with a penalty after 19 minutes, but the Dragons’ attempts to stop the rot finally bore fruit soon after, Arlidge successfully slotting two penalties.

Glasgow were clearly on the back foot and with seven minutes of the first half remaining Kelly Brown was sin-binned for not releasing. The Dragons scored almost immediately through Gareth Wyatt to lead 11-10. An Arlidge drop goal in the final minute of the half extended the advantage, and he made it 17-10 three minutes into the second half with a well-struck penalty.

However, the return of Brown saw Glasgow raise the pace to draw level after 51 minutes. Max Evans cut inside Marc Stcherbina before finally stretching over for a score that Gregor converted.

But Newport struck back five minutes later, Wyatt scoring his second try to regain a lead the Dragons would not relinquish. From a five-metre lineout taken by Charteris they drove for the line, the ball going wide through Arlidge and presenting Wyatt with a try in the corner.

Five minutes later, from another Charteris lineout, the Welsh pack poured over the line and Charvis was the one who touched down.

Although Glasgow’s captain Alastair Kellock scored a try with 15 minutes left, the Dragons appeared to have sufficient belief to resist a late comeback. There was always a danger that Glasgow could square the match, but Arlidge’s late drop goal finally put that beyond doubt.

Star man: Luke Charteris (Dragons)

Referee: R Poite (France)

Attendance: 5,238

Scorers: Dragons: Tries: Wyatt 38, 56, Charvis 61. Con: Arlidge. Pens: Arlidge (3) DG: Arlidge (2) Glasgow: Tries: Fa’atau 5, Evans 51, Kellock 65. Cons: Gregor (2). Pen: Gregor Yellow cards: Glasgow:Brown (35min)

DRAGONS: P Dollman; G Wyatt, R Sidey (A Smith 74min), M Stcherbina, R Fussell; J Arlidge, W Evans; A Black (A Coundley 76min), T Willis (capt), R Thomas, A Jones, L Charteris (A Hall 70min), J Bearman, L Evans (G Webb 73min), C Charvis.

GLASGOW: B Stortoni; L Fa'atau, M Evans, G Morrisson (A Henderson 73min), H O'Hare; C Gregor, M McMillan (R Jackson 58min); J Va'a (K Tkachuk 58min), D Hall, M Low (, E Kalman 40min), O Palepoi (T Barker 40min), A Kellock (capt), K Brown (S Swindall 63min), J Beattie, J Barclay (R Vernon 64min).