Bristol try-scorer Winters is a nominee for PRA Player of the Year

Bristol (16) 30
Tries: Winters, Linklater
Con: Gray
Pens: Gray 6

Leicester (10) 13
Try: Smith
Con: Humphreys
Pens: Humphreys 2

Bristol gave themselves a great chance of securing a Premiership play-off spot after moving into third place with victory over a second-string Leicester.

The Tigers led 7-3 early on through Ollie Smith's converted try but Bristol hit back via a try from veteran Roy Winters and they didn't look back.

Danny Gray's fourth penalty early in the second half made it 19-10 and two more in the final quarter settled it.

Replacement Scott Linklater's late try put the seal on an excellent win.

It was Bristol's 14th of the league campaign - a figure only Gloucester can match - and was underpinned by an impressive display from rookie fly-half Gray, who booted 20 points in rainswept conditions.

The hosts prevailed despite having back-row forwards Andrew Blowers and Joe El Abd sin-binned at different points in each half.

Victory moved them a point ahead of Saracens and three ahead of Wasps, who drop to fifth.

Richard Hill's side will head to table-toppers Gloucester on Saturday for the final round of regular-season games knowing victory would almost certainly give them a home semi-final, while a bonus point could be enough to seal a play-off spot.

Treble-chasing Leicester remain on the same points tally as Gloucester, but will need to beat Wasps to secure a home semi-final.

Wasps, in turn, will travel to Welford Road knowing they need to beat the Tigers - in a Heineken Cup final dress rehearsal - or miss out on the play-offs.

Bristol head coach Richard Hill:
"The carrot for us now is if we beat Gloucester then we would have a home tie in the semi-finals.

"And that gives us a huge incentive. We have a big, big prize to go for now.

"It will be a massive achievement if we get there in terms of the play-offs, and I think we will be pretty tough to beat if we get a home game at the Memorial Stadium."

Leicester head coach Pat Howard:
"The loser on Saturday (against Wasps) probably misses out, but both sides are pretty used to the pressure that comes with games like that.

"The players tried very hard, and we had our opportunities, but our ball control wasn't that good. It was a fantastic learning curve for some of the guys.

"I brought a side down here I thought could win, so I make no excuses. We came up short."

Bristol: Arscott, Robinson, Brew, Cox, Lima, Gray, Nicholls, Hilton, Regan, Crompton, Winters, Llewellyn, To'oala, El Abd, Blowers.
Replacements: Linklater, Clarke, Hohneck, Budgett, Hallam, Hill, Morgan.

Leicester: J Murphy, Lloyd, Smith, Cornwell, Varndell, Humphreys, F Murphy, Moreno, Buckland, Holford, Cullen, Hamilton, Croft, Abraham, Crane.
Replacements: Hickie, Young, L Deacon, B Deacon, B Youngs, T Youngs, Burke.

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)