Glasgow's hopes of qualifying for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals are hanging by a thread following a disappointing defeat in France.

They were unable to contend the power and pace of Bourgoin at Stade Pierre Rajon and now need a sequence of freak results to have any chance of squeezing into the last eight.

Bourgoin broke the deadlock in the 13th minute, catching the visiting markers completely flat-footed.

Graeme Beveridge was robbed just inside his own half before wing Eromodo Tuni ran 50 metres to the line.

Alexandre Peclier added the conversion from a tricky angle before Tuni went over again.

Peclier was next to break through, converting his own score, before Bourgoin second row Pascal Pape was yellow-carded just before the break for preventing fair release.

Glasgow instantly made the most of their advantage when Gordon Simpson barged his way through from close range after an impressive pack-surge.

Fightback ended

But any prospect of a meaningful fightback at that stage was snuffed out six minutes after the restart as wing Jean-Francois Coux scored.

Peclier was wide with the goal-attempt from a wide angle, but made amends by slotting a simple penalty to create a 20-point gap midway through the half.

However, the persistence of Glasgow's forwards was given just reward two minutes later when they bagged a second try through Nathan Ross.

Howarth slotted the difficult conversion to keep them in the hunt - but Peclier clawed back the three points with a long-range penalty.

Again the Warriors refused to buckle and they earned another glimmer of hope when Howarth pounced to complete an interception score before slotting his third conversion.

They finished the stronger team, but were unable to exert more decisive pressure and Peclier had the last word for Bourgoin with a breakaway effort.

Bourgoin: Boyet, Tuni, Berryman, Davis, Coux, Peclier, Forest., Milloud, Djoubi, Peyron, Pape, Nallet, Bonnaire, Bias, Raschi.

Replacements: Mazet, Sanen, Curnier, Caillet, Costes, Venditti, Bonnet.

Glasgow: A. Moffat, Steel, Henderson, Metcalfe, Reid, C. Howarth, Beveridge, Hilton, G. Bulloch, Harrison, Hall, Ross, Simpson, Wilson, Petrie.

Replacements: Daly, A. Kelly, R. McKay, MacFadyen, Black, A. Bulloch, Bartlett.

Referee: Chris White (England).