Match Centre: Gallagher Premiership: Bath 20-19 Bristol
Ben Spencer was one of the try scorer for Bath Rugby
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Bath Rugby 20-19 Bristol Bears, The Recreation Ground
Callum Sheedy missed a penalty goal in the end as Bristol Bears were edged out by a one point margin in the sixth round of the Gallagher Premiership at the Recreation Ground.
Bath with their fourth victory have climbed to the second place in the table with 21 points while Bristol now have suffered their fourth Premiership loss in a row as they slipped to the seventh place.
Bristol made a strong start to the game as a number of pick-and-drives saw Magnus Bradbury touchdown and Callum Sheedy kicked the conversion to make it 0-7.
Finn Russell led Bath's response with a 10th minute penalty goal and they soon went into the lead as Ollie Lawrence went past Piers O’Conor and Gabriel Oghre to dot down in the 15th minute and shortly Cameron Redpath released Ben Spencer over.
Russell kicked both the conversions as the home side stretched their lead to 17-7. Bristol came close to scoring through Virimi Vakatawa but a clearance from Miles Reid meant the home side had a 10-point lead at the end of the opening half.
The visitors were the quickest to get off the block in the second half as Rich Lane collecting a pass from Sheedy crossed over with the Bristol fly-half also kicking the extras to reduce the gap down to three points.
Sheedy was once again centre stage to Bristol scoring as his crossfield kick allowed Max Malins to score his third try making it 17-19 and the gap continue to remain at two minutes by the 66th minute as Russell and Sheedy penalty apiece.
Russell had a chance to make amends with a penalty goal to make it 20-19 and just when Sheedy had a chance to put Bristol in front his kick drifted wide in the 75th minute allowing the hosts to complete a fourth victory in six matches.
Team line up:
Bath: Gallagher; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Redpath, Muir; Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Dunn, Stuart, Lee-Warner, Ewels, Reid, Underhill, Coetzee.
Reserves: Annett, Du Toit, Jonker, Van Velze, Barbeary, Schreuder, Bailey, Ojomoh
Bristol: Lane; O'Conor, Vakatawa, Janse van Rensburg, Ibitoye; Sheedy, Randall (c); Genge, Oghre, Lahiff, Holmes, Caulfield, Batley, Thacker, Bradbury.
Reserves: Capon, Woolmore, Sinckler, Heenan, Thomas, Marmion, Williams, Malins
