MATCH SUMMARY Bath: (6) 18 Pens: Barkley 5 Drop goal: Malone Gloucester: (6) 16 Try: Thirlby Con: Mercier Pens: Mercier 3

Andrew Higgins was sent off for tripping Gloucester's Mike Tindall but five penalties from Olly Barkley and a Chris Malone drop goal saw them home.

Gloucester played poorly and only managed three Ludodvic Mercier penalties before Rob Thirlby's try.

Mercier's conversion put Gloucester 16-15 up before Barkley's fifth kick gave the hosts the points.

Bath opened the scoring when Barkley slotted his third penalty attempt after 17 minutes.

Three minutes later the hosts lost Higgins to the sin bin for a high tackle and he was immediately joined on the sidelines by a dazed Matt Perry, injured trying to tackle Gloucester full-back Jon Goodridge.

Borthwick and Grewcock were strong, our line-out was exceptional John Connolly Bath boss

Mercier punished Higgins' indiscipline by slotting the penalty and the French fly-half edged the visitors in front with a second soon after, before then hitting the woodwork twice in five minutes.

Barkley levelled the scores with his second penalty but Bath soon found themselves down to 14 men permanently.

Higgins, who had only been back on the pitch for five minutes, was shown a second yellow card sent off for a blatant trip on the flying Mike Tindall.

Despite their loss within 12 minutes of the re-start the home side had taken a nine-point lead courtesy of a remarkable drop goal from two metres inside his own half by Malone and two Barkley penalties.

Bath fronted up, and that is a credit to them Dean Ryan Gloucester head coach

Mercier landed a penalty after David Bory was sin-binned following a flowing Gloucester counter-attack, reducing the hosts to 13 men for 10 minutes.

And with 13 minutes of time remaining Mercier landed a touchline conversion after Thirlby had scored a long-range solo effort to edge Gloucester back in front.

It looked as though Gloucester might steal the points but Barkley put Bath back in front with a massive penalty after 72 minutes and the hosts held out in a pulsating finish which was at odds with much that had gone before.