Ulster went into the match hoping to make it three wins on the bounce in all competitions but faced a Glasgow side who have turned the Scotstoun Stadium into a fortress, having gone nine games unbeaten before the match.
The home crowd were up for the return of URC rugby after the international break as it was a sell out crowd despite the wet and windy weather conditions.
Those conditions were evident in the opening stages of the match as both sides were finding the ball slippery in the swirling rain.
The opening 15 minutes saw both sides withstanding pressure, with Glasgow showing impressive ball speed and handling. Ulster were disappointed not to have made more of lineouts, as Glasgow were able to steal the ball and relieve the pressure.
The home side got their breakthrough with a bit of help from those weather conditons after a kick upfield was knocked on by full back Ethan McIlroy who was unable to control the ball.
Glasgow sent the ball into touch and then used their maul from a lineout afterwards to make the first score of the night through flanker Sione Vailanu.
Fly half Tom Jordan was unable to convert his kick in the unkind wind.
Ulster piled on the pressure and thought they had bounced back after a number of phases deep in the Glasgow 22 that saw captain Alan O'Connor bundle over the line. It had looked like he had scored however the referee said the ball had been held up by a stubborn Glasgow defence that roared as they celebrated.
Ulster kept going though and made their breakthrough through Ulster academy product Harry Sheridan who marked his first try for the province on only his third start. The 22 year old back row showed great strength and determination to ground the ball, despite being surrounded by Glasgow defence.
Nathan Doak was unable to make the conversion keeping the score at 5-5. The two sides went back and forth trading blows but Ulster headed into the break on top after Doak expertly kicked a long range penalty conversion from almost the halfway line. Ulster were on top by three heading into the break.
HT: 5-8
Both sides came out for the second half with the bit firmly between their teeth. Glasgow were fighting their way back into the match and it was a battle of the forwards. Ulster's Jordi Murphy won the applause of teammates after winning a penalty in the breakdown as Glasgow pushed.
The match felt like it reached a significant turning point whenever an Ulster lineout maul 5 metres from the Glasgow try-line was turned over by jackal Sam Johnson, who stole possession in a vital position close to the line.
It felt like a score for Glasgow's forwards and the home crowd demanded they push on.
Glasgow made five changes from the bench to make a fresh assault on Ulster.
The home side used that momentum to take the lead as in the 65th minute the BKT URC man of the match winner, number 8 Jack Dempsey, crashed the ball over for Glasgow after they used their their driving maul from a lineout. Tom Jordan missed his second conversion of the match to keep the score at 10-8.
Glasgow were hungry for more and Ulster were pinned back fighting the Glasgow waves of attack. Ulster will have been disappointed to give away penalties which did little to relieve pressure.
Glasgow scored another try in the 76th minute to seal the win, again using a maul from a lineout to allow Scotland international Fraser Brown to score their third try of the match. Substitute fly half Duncan Weir made no mistake from the conversion to make the score 17-8 to the home side.
Ulster had enough left in the tank to push forward to try and salvage a losing bonus point which they achieved through a penalty that John Cooney was able to calmly convert.
It was a tale of two halves for Ulster as the home side dominated the latter stages of the second half to drive home their unbeaten streak to ten matches in a row.
The result keeps Ulster in third position in the URC, one point ahead of Glasgow who are now right on their tails in fourth and behind by a point.
FT: 17-11
Scorers
Glasgow Warriors
TRY: Vailanu, Dempsey, Brown
CON: Weir
Ulster
TRY: Sheridan
PEN: Doak, Cooney
BKT URC MOTM: Jack Dempsey
Teams:
Ulster:
(1-8) Eric O’Sullivan, Tom Stewart, Jeff Toomaga-Allen, Alan O’Connor (Captain), Kieran Treadwell, Harry Sheridan, Jordi Murphy, Nick Timoney
(15-9) Ethan McIlroy, Ben Moxham, James Hume, Stewart Moore, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, Nathan Doak
Replacements: John Andrew, Rory Sutherland, Andy Warwick, Cormac Izuchukwu, Greg Jones, John Cooney, Luke Marshall, Craig Gilroy.
Glasgow Warriors:
(1-8) Nathan McBeth, Johnny Matthews, Lucio Sordoni, Lewis Bean, Scott Cummings, Thomas Gordon, Sione Vailanu, Jack Dempsey
(15-9) Josh McKay, Cole Forbes, Stafford McDowall, Sam Johnson,Ollie Smith, Tom Jordan, Jamie Dobie
Replacements:
Fraser Brown, Jamie Bhatti, Simon Berghan, JP Du Preez, Alex Samuel, Euan Ferrie, Ali Price, Duncan Weir