Match Centre: Bath 10-25 London Irish

Bath 10-25 London Irish, Recreation Ground

Paddy Jackson contributed with 15 points as London Irish defeated Bath in the latest round of the Gallagher Premiership at Recreation Ground on Saturday.

Both the sides were desperate for a breakthrough in the opening 20 minutes but it did not come until the visitors lost Rob Simmons to yellow card in the 21st minute for a cynical infringement on the line.

The home side immediately capitalised on the numerical advantage as Josh Bayliss dived from close range in the 21st minute and Ben Spencer followed with the conversion to make it 7-0.

The Exiles responded in the 23rd minute as Tom Pearson and James Stokes combined to send Paddy Jackson over the line with the fly-half also following with the extras to level the scores.

The home side seized the lead once again with Spencer slotting a penalty goal around the hour-mark but as the break was nearing London Irish got their second try with Ben White diving from close range to make it 10-12 before Bath lost Ruaridh McConnochie to yellow card for an infringement.

Bath had an opportunity to get off the block in the second half as Piers Francis' penalty drifted wide but shortly Spencer received a yellow card for an infringement allowing Jackson to kick a three-pointer making it 10-15.

Bath received their third yellow card of the game with the latest being Fergus Lee-Warner sent to sin-bin in the 58th minute and this time Benhard Janse van Rensburg breached the home side's defence to dot down and Jackson followed with a conversion and a penalty goal making it 10-25.

Team line up:

Bath: Gallagher; Cokanasiga, Joseph, Redpath, McConnochie; Francis, B Spencer; Obano, Dunn, Rae, Attwood, McNally, Reid, Underhill, Bayliss.

Reserves: Annett, Morozov, Stuart, Roux, Lee-Warner, Schreuder, Bailey, Cloete.

London Irish: Stokes; Cinti, Van Rensburg, Jennings, Loader; Jackson, Powell; Gigena, Creevy, Hoskins, Ratuniyarawa, Simmons, Martin Gonzalez, Pearson, Rogerson.

Reserves: Willemse, Haffar, Chawatama, Caulfield, Cunningham-South, White, Morisi, Joseph.