NOT even a red card for Glasgow flanker Tyrone Holmes could help Newport Gwent Dragons from avoiding a pointless afternoon at Rodney Parade.

The Warriors triumphed 33-13 to maintain their impressive start to the Guinness Pro12 while the Dragons have lost their opening three games for the first time since 2008.

Glasgow played almost all the second half down to 14 men following Holmes’ seemingly harsh dismissal for use of the boot but still had enough quality to stretch away after leading 13-3 at the break.

In fact, the outnumbered visitors outscored the hosts by three tries to one in front of the Sky Sports cameras on a thoroughly demoralising afternoon.

The Dragons did the double over the Pro12 runners-up last season but a repeat of their Feburary 24-23 win in Newport never looked likely.

The attack had spluttered in defeat to Connacht and the Ospreys and hopes of a change of fortunes were not helped by a crippling injury list featuring fly-half Jason Tovey, full-back Lee Byrne and centres Pat Leach, Ashley Smith, Ross Wardle, Jack Dixon and Tyler Morgan.

That led to diminutive fly-half Dorian Jones and on-loan Ospreys back Ben John being paired together in midfield and it didn’t take the Glasgow long to exploit their defensive weakness, centre Alex Dunbar gliding under the sticks with alarming ease after just four minutes.

Thankfully the Dragons tightened up but the Warriors still enjoyed a 10-point lead after half an hour thanks to penalties by Duncan Weir and Stuart Hogg to one by 19-year-old fly-half Angus O’Brien.

It was 13-3 at half-time but the hosts were hit by a yellow card shown to tighthead prop Lloyd Fairbrother just before the break after a totting up of scrummaging offences.

However, the numbers were evened up just 30 seconds after the restart – and the Warriors would have to play the rest of the game a man down.

Flanker Holmes was red carded for a stamp right in front of touch judge Neil Hennessy and the Dragons had a lifeline.

A strong scrum allowed O’Brien to narrow the gap only for a crossing penalty to gift Weir three points and make it 16-6 with half an hour left.

It seemed like game over when Josh Strauss powered over after an attack that saw Glasgow hammering away at the line.

However, scrum-half Richie Rees gave the hosts some hope when he sniped over before the hour after lock Rynard Landman and prop Dan Way had gone close.

At 23-13 the next score was key and it was the 14-man visitors that secured the spoils when wing Tommy Seymour showed tremendous pace to race down the right.

And it was Glasgow that ended on the front foot as they scented a four-try bonus point against a Dragons team forced to field hooker/prop Hugh Gustafson in the back five of their pack because of injuries.

They duly got it when a driving lineout ended with lock Tim Swinson diving over down the left, leaving the Dragons to lick their wounds before a must-win home encounter with Treviso a week on Sunday.

Dragons: H Amos, T Prydie, B John, D Jones (B Nightingale 66), A Brew (A Hewitt 71), A O’Brien, R Rees (L Jones 71), B Stankovich, R Thomas (E Dee 55), L Fairbrother (D Way 50-69), C Hill (M Screech 63, H Gustafson 66), R Landman, L Evans (D Way 44-50, A Powell 63), N Cudd, T Faletau.

Scorers: try – R Rees; conversion – A O’Brien; penalties – A O’Brien (2)

Yellow card: L Fairbrother

Glasgow: S Hogg, T Seymour (L Jones 79), A Dunbar, P Horne, DTH van der Merwe, D Weir, N Matawalu (H Pyrgos 36), G Reid (A Allan 63), K Bryce (F Brown 49), E Murray, T Swinson, L Nakarawa, R Harley (J Eddie 55), T Holmes, J Strauss (captain, A Ashe 64).

Scorers: tries – A Dunbar, J Strauss, T Seymour, T Swinson; conversions – D Weir (2); penalties – D Weir (2), S Hogg

Red card: T Holmes

Referee: David Wilkinson (Ireland)

Attendance: 5, 885