MATCH DETAILS Gloucester: 28 (13) Tries: Simpson-Daniel, Garvey, Hazell Cons: Paul 2 Pens: Paul 3 Wasps: 25 (10) Tries Waters, Logan, Denney Cons: King 2 Pens: King

Duncan McRae's weaving run set up James Simpson-Daniel for the game's first try as Gloucester raced into a 13-0 lead.

Fraser Waters reduced the arrears, but Gloucester looked to have sealed it with second-half tries from Marcel Garvey and Andy Hazell.

Kenny Logan and substitute Mark Denney made it a rip-roaring finish but Wasps had to be content with a bonus point.

Wasps would have gone top with victory, but Gloucester's win means Bath will finish first in the Premiership's 'regular' season if they beat Harlequins on Sunday and clinch a bonus point.

Gloucester boss Nigel Melville was impressed with his side's first half display.

He said: "The team played very well in the first hour but in the last few minutes we got lose because we were trying to claim a bonus point."

Paul Deacon led out the Cherry-and-Whites in his last game at Kingsholm before his retirement and his team responded with a superb start.

We simply were not in the game for 60 minutes Warren Gatland, Wasps coach

"We dare not lose as it was Andy last game and I'm delighted that he got the whole 80 minutes and he put in an excellent display," said Melville.

Deacon and his fellow forwards made all the early running, and an outside break from Henry Paul almost led to a try, but Garvey dropped the inside pass.

Paul booted a fourth-minute penalty to give the hosts a deserved lead, before Lawrence Dallaglio departed for treatment on a bloodied mouth.

The England captain returned in time to witness Paul's second successful penalty.

Wasps fell further behind when Gloucester sliced open their midfield defence nine minutes before the break through Simpson-Daniel's try.

Paul's conversion put Wasps in deep trouble at 13-0, although Alex King immediately slotted a penalty.

And Wasps were back in it when Waters snapped up a stray pass by McRae and trotted over unopposed.

Both teams were guilty of errors as the tension increased in the second half, but Gloucester increased their lead.

Simpson-Daniel went close to claiming his second touchdown, before Junior Paramore delivered a scoring pass to Garvey, who dived over in the corner.

King's second penalty gave Wasps a glimmer of hope on 65 minutes, but Gloucester seemed to have killed off the game by claiming their third try.

Wasps were unable to cope with the Gloucester's marauding forwards and Hazell took full advantage by sprinting over out wide.

Paul effortlessly kicked the touch-line conversion, and Gloucester were coasting at 28-13.

However, Wasps raised hopes of an astonishing comeback when Logan and Denney went over at the death but they could not quite conjure a miracle.

And Wasps' day concluded miserably when their former All Blacks prop Craig Dowd was carried off in the 80th minute with a leg injury.

Wasps boss Warren Gatland did not blame his side's loss on their win against Munster last weekend which saw them reach the Heineken Cup final.

"We were okay from physical standpoint but we simply were not in the game for 60 minutes," he said.

"Gloucester deserve their win because they were up for it but I can take positives out of the match in that we finished extremely strongly."

Gloucester: Van der bergh, Garvey, Fanolua, Paul, Simpson-Daniel, McRae, Gomarsall, Woodman, Fortey, Deacon, Cornwell, Brown, Boer, Buxton, Paramore. Replacements: Dupreez, Roncero, Wood, Eustace, Hazell, Amor, Todd.

Wasps: van Gisbergen, Voyce, Waters, Abbott, Logan, A King, Richards, Payne, Leota, Green, Purdy, Birkett, Worsley, Volley, Dallaglio. Replacements: Dowd, Lock, Gotting, Hart, Howley, Denney, Erinle.