Aviva Premiership

Bristol 12 Bath 11

GAVIN Henson returned from injury to steer Bristol to a famous derby victory over Bath and give them renewed hope of surviving the Aviva Premiership drop.

Welsh international Henson had been out since October but played a tremendous match which means Bristol are now just two points behind Worcester Warriors at the bottom of the table.

The victory could spell the difference between staying up and going down, and Henson soon made his presence felt with a drop goal from forty metres that sailed through the posts to put Bristol ahead He just missed with another drop goal and a long-range penalty later in the half while his booming boot cleared danger on several occasions for the Premiership strugglers.

Bath, who had around twenty players out injured or on international duty, managed to level the match when Welsh international fly-half Rhys Priestland struck over a 45 metre shot at goal.

However, Priestland misfired with his tactical kicking which allowed Bristol to stick in the game.

The Bristol pack fought manly against the opposition, the back division gained confidence and, although one man does not make a team, Henson's contribution stablised the side.

And the Bristol stand-off sent his side into the half-time break with a six point advantage from two more long penalties, the second which sailed over the posts from almost fifty metres on the left touchline.

It was just what Bristol needed to gain a much-needed third Premiership win of the season that has nicely set-up their massive away clash with Worcester at Sixways on Sunday.

Priestland missed a penalty straight after the re-start but Henson got his third when Bath infringed on their own 22.

It was all going Bristol's way and the effort of the side not to let their rivals from down the road get over their line rubbed off when wing David Lemi put in a brilliant try-saving tackle on Bath flanker David Denton in the corner.

Bath reached Bristol's try-line just before the hour but a knock-on saw the home side clear, although they gave away another penalty that Priestland put over.

That reduced the arrears to six points and the match just needed a try to swing it one way or the other, it seemed.

And it came when replacement centre Tusi Pisi threw a wild pass that Bath's England wing Semesa Rokoduguni seized upon and ran home from sixty metres.

Priestland missed the conversion from wide out which meant Bristol were hanging on by their fingernails with a one-point advantage.

However, a herculean effort from the Bristol pack to turn ball over and from the whole team to stifle Bath's attacks meant they deserved the victory.