RICHIE GRAY today admitted his final appearance in an 1872 Cup derby showdown at Firhill had put his emotions through the blender.

The giant Warriors second row, 22, who will depart for English Premiership side Sale Sharks in the summer, played a starring role in last night's 17-12 second leg victory for Glasgow Warriors over inter-city rivals Edinburgh.

The win ensured, a three-in-a-row 1872 Cup success for Sean Lineen's men.

And Scotland star Gray revealed he had almost been reduced to tears by the warmth of the reaction from Glasgow's record home gate of 8,852.

The outstanding second row, whose dominance of the line-out was crucial to Warriors victory, said: "It was an emotional night for me.

"I knew this was going to be my final appearance in a black shirt in the 1872 Cup and I was determined to go out with a win.

"Everyone knows how much it means to win the 1872 Cup and it was a really physical battle out there.

"I was a bit emotional before the game and Sean had a quiet word with me and that helped me stay focused.

"To retain the 1872 Cup and do so in front of what was our record home gate was fantastic. It is a match I will always remember even if it was not a free-flowing game.

"But that is derbies for you. There is so much resting on them and ultimately all that matters is getting the win."

Warriors' front row Moray Low scored the only try with Duncan Weir converting three times in the first half while Edinburgh stand-off Phil Godman scored just three out of six.

Low's try came as the home side made their extra man pay after Edinburgh centre Matt Scott was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle on Rob Harley.

The Firhill victory meant Warriors held on to the 1872 Cup by an aggregate margin of 40-35 after a 23-23 draw on Boxing Day at Murrayfield in the first leg.

The hard-fought victory also meant Warriors climbed above title holders Munster and into third place in the RaboDirect Pro12 League table.

But Gray believes that Glasgow's winning mentality saw them over the finishing line in a game in which good rugby was at a premium.

He said: "We have now gone eight games unbeaten. We are now at a key stage in the season, though. Having moved into third place on the back of the four points we took from this one was really pleasing.

"We made the play-offs two years back and that is the target for this season. But we have the Scarlets next down and we are going to have to lift things again for that one.

"If we can get the win there it would set us up nicely for the Heineken Cup double- header with Leinster at Firhill and then Bath at the Rec. So it is vital we keep the momentum going."

As he reflected on his farewell to the oldest club match of the lot, Gray admitted his heart will always belong to Glasgow.

And he hopes one day to return and finish his club career at Warriors. He said: "Is that my last derby match for Glasgow? Never say never!"

Meanwhile, Edinburgh head coach Michael Bradley had no doubt that the 68th minute sin binning of Matt Scott was the pivotal moment in a hard fought contest.

He said: "It was a crucial decision in the game. The referee was next to it and didn't seem to put his hand in his pocket or stop the play even, and the touch judge saw what he saw."