Barkley sparks Bath win

Olly Barkley provided the platform for Bath's Guinness Premiership victory over near-neighbours Bristol on Saturday.

Barkley scored 13 points with the boot as Andrew Higgins, Michael Lipman and Matt Banahan all touched down in a 28-13 win at the Recreation Ground.

Bath stunned the visitors from the start, notching up points at a rate of almost one-a-minute in the first quarter.

A 30-metre penalty from Barkley opened the home side's account before South Africa's World Cup-winning fly-half Butch James, making his league debut, sent an inch-perfect kick to the right touchline.

Higgins arrived for the tackle just as the ball bounced into Luke Arscott's arms and the ex-Bristol wing expertly robbed the full-back and cantered over for a ninth-minute try, which was converted.

Competitive

Ten minutes later James was in the thick of it again, gifting Banahan a neat inside pass, leaving the giant winger to step through a tackle and charge 25 metres before being brought down.

He managed to find flanker Lipman in support to complete the move and Barkley added the extras to take the score to 17-0, with Bristol yet to threaten.

The visitors picked themselves up and their pack began to look more competitive at the set-piece as the half wore on.

And, following some sustained pressure after Higgins fumbled a kick to the Bath 22, Bristol were awarded the penalty, which Jason Strange landed from short range.

Six minutes later the former Wales fly-half slotted over another from a tight angle and Bristol began to look an altogether different side.

Bath piled on the pressure in the second half and after the visitors infringed following a 70-metre counter attack on 50 minutes, Barkley put Bath 20-6 ahead.

Superb score

Ten minutes later and the home team received Bristol's response through a superb try from left-wing David Lemi.

Strange closed the gap to seven points but Barkley hit back almost immediately with his third penalty of the match.

Then Bath struck again following a period of Bristol possession, with Banahan smashing through Arscott's tackle to score 70 metres upfield.

Barkley's kick drifted wide this time but little could detract Bath, who must surely be seen as serious title contenders, from celebrating their sixth win in seven games.