GLASGOW Warriors’ hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the European Champions Cup were dealt a fatal blow in the dying minutes of their match at Northampton yesterday after the English side snatched a dramatic last-gasp try to win the match 19-15.

The score came after Warriors substitute Tim Swinson had been sin-binned for punching an opponent. Head coach Gregor Townsend refused to single out the forward for blame, but did say that Swinson thought he had let his team-mates down.

“Matt [Taylor, the defence coach], who was sitting beside me, saw it,” Townsend said of the Swinson incident. “I think it was a punch, so it’s out of character.

“It’s something that he’s really disappointed with. If someone’s grabbing him he has to just not punch anyone.

He feels like he let down the team. But we’ve got to make sure our discipline, whether in giving away penalties or looking after the ball, is better. There were a few occasions where we gave Northampton opportunities.”

The Warriors lost the try count 3-0, but played with a lot of adventure, leading Townsend to argue that, although they had not played as well as they can, they are at least continuing to improve. “We played with a really good effort throughout the team. We kept ball in attack, we took the game to Northampton, and I thought we defended really well. So it was much more like us, and to be leading for parts of the second half and in the 78th minute, it’s obviously very disappointing to lose the game. I have to say the players put in a huge effort.”

Townsend now thinks his team have a duty to their supporters to put in a big effort against group winners Racing when they meet at Rugby Park. “We know we’ll have to play really well to beat Racing. They’re up there with the best two or three teams in Europe. We’re looking forward to the game, it’s a new venue for us, new surface, and we want to show our supporters that we can play, we can build on the last two performances. This was better than Racing, and we’ll have to play well if we’re going to win.”

Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder had the pleasure of seeing his son Harry come off the bench to make his senior debut and score the winning try. “You’re behind,” he said. “You lose and you’re out of Europe. You win and you’re still fighting. For your son to score . . . I am pretty chuffed.”

Finn Russell, with four penalties, and Stuart Hogg with the other got the Warriors’ points. The Warriors could still come second in the pool if they beat Racing with a bonus point and Northampton lose to bottom-of-the-table Scarlets, but that is an unlikely turn of events. Racing secured top spot in the pool by thumping the Welsh team 64-14 yesterday and look in no mood to ease up when they visit Kilmarnock. Northampton will be in with a shout of going through to the last eight as one of the three best runners-up from the five pools if they beat Scarlets in Llanelli.