WE have got to follow up last week's victory over Bath by winning in Glasgow tonight, insists Newport Gwent Dragons coach Paul Turner.

The Dragons surprised many people, including perhaps themselves, by getting the better of English giants Bath at Rodney Parade last Saturday.

But that was in a pre-season friendly. The real business starts tonight when the Dragons play their first Celtic League game under Turner at Hughenden.

"The Bath win was a huge tonic because we didn't perform that well in the second half against Penzance," said Turner.

"When I arrived at the ground I saw that Bath had 35 players and I thought we were in for a tough afternoon, but we stemmed the tide and won.

"But it means nothing if we lose in Glasgow. We need to perform and get a result.

"I know we've got players out, but we're having to take it on the chin like everyone else though we're probably suffering more than most teams because we have quite a small squad.

"In my days at Gloucester we used to start with Collazzo and Pucarello at prop and then after 60 minutes bring Woodman and Vickery on. We haven't got that luxury here."

If the Dragons are to succeed tonight they will not only have to produce the form which saw them win the corresponding game last season 38-29 but also end a losing away sequence of eight games.

The last time they succeeded on away soil was way back on October 31 last year, ironically in Scotland, when they beat Edinburgh in the Heineken Cup.

Glasgow haven't enjoyed a happy pre-season, unlike the Dragons, going down 32-11 against Newcastle last weekend and also losing a training match against neighbours Edinburgh.

Turner is keen to focus on youth, the first example being the promotion of wing Richard Fussell.

"It's not a myth that we're trying to bring youngsters through and I've been impressed with Richard," he said. "I knew of him before I came, and I'm also looking to him to give us the left-sided balance that's been missing since Percy Montgomery went back to South Africa.

"Leigh Hinton has also done quite well and Andrew Hall has done extremely well. I'm quite pleased with the signings and the spirit seems good, but you're not losing in the summer, now is when the test will come.

"I'm also pleased with Hal Luscombe's comeback. I've watched him from afar, he's been playing on the wing for Wales and he's a bit like a Dafydd James. If you can supply him with the ball he can cut defences. There's also a lot more to come from the guys inside him."

Turner is attempting to involve the whole region with the Dragons, though he also appreciates the Rodney Parade fans, remembering them from his playing days there.

"At one stage against Bath the old Rodney roar came back to me. There was always something about the place," he said.

"We were always told up the Valleys to hate these Newport guys, but we all made our way down here because this was the place you used to want to come and play, beating them or playing for them.

"I've been away a long time, but there's still something about the place. It's always been known for great support and I felt at times against Bath it was certainly there. It's not lying dormant, it's there to be explored.

"If we can get our act together and play some good attractive rugby we can bring this place to life again."

l The Dragons have decided not to bring another scrum half in on a short-term contract because of injuries to Gareth Cooper and James Ireland, expecting Ireland to be fit within the next fortnight.

The Dragons are relying on Gareth Baber and teenager Alix Walker. "I've been enthused by Alix during the summer, though we thought about bringing a player in but decided against it," explained Turner.

Glasgow team: C Shaw, R Lamont, A Criag, A Henderson, M Roberts, D Parks, S Pinder, K Tkachuk, S Lawson, L Harrison, C Hamilton, C Swindel, A Wilson, J Petrie (captain). Kick off 7.30pm.