Glasgow Warriors 25 Edinburgh 20: We can kick on despite derby blow

PHIL GODMAN has urged Edinburgh to carry on where they left off in a hotly-contested derby with Glasgow at Firhill.

A injury-time try from Ben Cairns ensured the visitors did not return empty handed as defeat by a single score margin – the Celtic League clash finished 20-25 in Glasgow's favour – was rewarded with one bonus point.

It was not the return a scintillating Capital display in the previous encounter between the teams a week earlier had prompted hopes of.

But Godman claimed that Cairns' second try in successive matches can spark the sort of revival – starting at home to Ulster on Friday – that saw Edinburgh charge up the Celtic League in 2007-08 when they lost only three of their last nine fixtures to finish a highest-ever fourth

While acknowledging Edinburgh conceded too many avoidable penalties and too indulged in too much cross-field running, stand off Godman said: "It was at the same stage of last season that we kicked on as a team. The aim is to do the same again."

After a patchy display from an Edinburgh side who turned 7-19 adrift, Godman, added: "By the middle of the second half we had started to play in the right area and were more direct. Before that, though, we were on the back foot for too long."

One reason for Edinburgh's sluggish entrance was the narrower and shorter Firhill pitch which, although planned for, created problems.

Godman said: "We struggled on the narrower pitch especially in the first half and especially at breakdowns. We didn't get front foot ball and, with the possession we did get, we played too laterally. The ball I was getting was behind me while the penalty count killed us as well.

Edinburgh won the try count 2-1 thanks to an early strike by prop Geoff Cross and also returned with the David Lloyd 1872 Cup based on aggregate scores over the two legs but that was small consolation.

"It was a very quiet dressing room afterwards with everyone gutted – quite a contrast from just a week ago when we won at Murrayfield," added Godman.

Credit Glasgow with a barnstorming display spearheaded by captain Ally Kellock with scrum half Sam Pinder, prop Moray Low and centre Graeme Morrison also impressive.

But Edinburgh were correct to acknowledge their ill-discipline and, on several counts, they got off lightly, notwithstanding notable all-round contributions from full back Hugo Southwell and flanker Scott Newlands.

Let offs numbers one and two came in the form of easy penalty misses by the otherwise influential Dan Parks.

There were times, too, when Edinburgh bulleted passes to support runners standing barely a few feet away to the extent that knock-ons were inevitable.

Such lack of composure was always going to prove costly but it was penalties for playing the ball from an offside position after a colleague had fumbled, blatantly going round the edge of rucks and taking ball-catchers out in mid-air that were particularly deadly – not least in costing Edinburgh momentum.

What didn't help either was the sin-binning of prop Allan Jacobsen for a ruck offence, although coach Andy Robinson was not prepared to point the finger.

He said: "There is a balance between clearing out and aggressive clearing out. Allan was deemed reckless. It's a harsh one when you need players to get good clear outs. We need to look at it."

If Jacobsen may be inclined to get the benefit of the doubt, especially as his disciplinary record is sound, Robinson felt obliged to let rip afterwards, revealing he given the team a talking to, particularly for their ill-discipline.

He said: "If we give away the type of dull penalties we did then we deserve to lose.

"The way we lost control of the game towards the end of the first half was really disappointing.

"Glasgow slowed our ball down in living on the edge as you have to do. They were also able to turn our ball over on a number of occasions. We tried to play it too wide, too early as opposed to trying to play through the middle.

"When we did that in the second half we got back into the game but we couldn't push on and get territorial advantage. Only in the last 20 minutes did we get sustained ball retention."

Edinburgh went ahead early when Geoff Cross picked up at a ruck and bolted 15 metres for his second try of the season, Phil Godman converting

But, instead of consolidating, Edinburgh conceded two penalties and a drop goal to Parks who also converted when Graeme Morrison eluded the midfield defence for a touchdown.

The stand off then rubbed salt in Capital wounds with a second drop goal.

Godman closed the gap to 13-19 with a penalty and it appeared Edinburgh had the necessary momentum but penalties by Parks and his replacement Ruaridh Jackson closed the door leaving Cairns' counter, converted by David Blair as mere consolation.

Quite how important the bonus increment proves to be remains to be seen but Edinburgh remain just six points behind leaders Ospreys and five points behind Munster, who have a game in hand.

Worringly, though, Edinburgh have now suffered five defeats, only one fewer than throughout the last league season.

Scorers:

Glasgow: Try: Morrison; Conversion: Parks; Penalties: Parks (3), Jackson; Drop goals: Parks (2). Edinburgh: Tries: G Cross, Cairns; Conversions: Godman, D Blair; Penalties: Godman (2).

Glasgow: Stortoni, O'Hare, M Evans, Morrison, T Evans, Parks, Pinder, Va'a, Thomson, Low, Barker, Kellock (c), Eddie, Barclay, Brown. Subs. (all used): Hall, Tckachuk, Turner, Vernon, Gregor, Henderson, Jackson.

Edinburgh: Southwell, Robertson, Cairns, De Luca, Webster, Godman, M Blair (c), Jacobsen, Ford, G. Cross, Mustchin, J. Hamilton, Newlands, MacDonald, Hogg. Subs (all used): Kerr, Gissing, S Cross, Laidlaw, D Blair, Houston.