Glasgow captain Kyle Steyn said Harlequins ability to convert their pressure into points was the big difference between the sides as the Warriors crashed out of the Investec Champions Cup at The Stoop on Friday.
A late try from replacement hooker Sam Riley won the game for the Premiership side after a superb comeback from the visitors, who trailed 21-7 at half-time having shipped two tries while Sione Tuipulotu was in the sin bin.
Steyn said: "The team that takes their chances better and adapts as the game goes is the team that comes out on top. We were close tonight but just on the wrong side of it.”
With the score at 24-21 in the visitors’ favour late on, Glasgow turned down two kickable penalties that would have extended their lead.
Post-match Franco Smith defended his players for that decision, but said he was frustrated they did not convert for a second maul try of the night after Johnny Matthews had gone over.
Steyn echoed the sentiments of his head coach.
"That’s the way we play and with the time and the score that was a good way to go for us,” the Scotland international added.
“We back ourselves to take chances and the worst-case scenario is you spend time down there in their half.”
Meanwhile, Matt Fagerson believes there are positives for the Warriors to take from Friday’s defeat into the remainder of the URC season.
“We’ve come away from finals rugby before knowing we’ve not fired a shot, and in that second half that wasn’t the case at all.”
Glasgow will now have the weekend off ahead of Sharks visiting Scotstoun on April 19 and Fagerson believes they can spend the time fine-tuning their game.
He added: “We've got a few weeks where we can all come together and get a few extra training days in, which will lead us into the tail end of the season and the knockout games.
“If we can get the squad best prepared to come through those knockout games all guns blazing, that's probably the biggest positive we can take from today."
There was a sense of frustration throughout the Glasgow camp that they ended up on the wrong side of referee Tual Trainini.
Glasgow conceded 12 first half penalties to the hosts’ two, but the second half was a different story with Quins penalised eight times to Glasgow’s three.
Fagerson admitted it was “a little bit frustrating.”
He said: "There was a few we didn't really know [what they were for].
“We have to not let the referee come into the game. We have to be disciplined and when we do start getting a few penalties against us, not let that spitball and leak yellow cards and tries. That's something we can have a look at to deal with over the next few weeks."
The 25-year-old was pleased by Glasgow’s response to falling 14 points behind at the break. They faced an uphill battle to get back into the game after tries from Marcus Smith and Cadan Murley put Harlequins in control at the break.
Fagerson said: “In years gone by, for Glasgow and for Scotland, you come in with a deficit like that and you think 'we've got to start chucking it around and doing things out of the ordinary' but we were all on the same page.
“We tightened it up, exited well, went to the maul and started getting a bit of momentum in the game. If we hold the ball, we are a team that can break you down. We just trusted the process and everyone bought into that. That was a very pleasing part."
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