Former champions Bath slipped deep into relegation trouble with a timid display at home to Leicester.

While bottom club Newcastle scored a crucial victory over Harlequins, Bath caught the Tigers on an error-strewn off-day but still failed to cash in.

The West country club's only consolation came in the form of a bonus point, which ensured they remain two points off the bottom of the Zurich Premiership table.

In the first half, the usually efficient Leicester misfired as mistakes came thick and fast from both sides.

Olly Barkley kicked Bath ahead with a 10th-minute penalty before an episode of farce presented right-wing Simon Danielli with a try that put the hosts 8-0 ahead.

Match facts

Bath 8 Try: Danielli Pen: Barkley Leicester 15 Tries: Kay, Murphy Con: Murphy Pen: Vesty

After changing his mind when shaping to clear his lines with the boot, Geordan Murphy got away with a hasty pass to Leon Lloyd.

But the Tigers wing then threw a sloppy pass of his own that allowed Danielli to collect and run in a simple score.

Leicester had already squandered one good chance through another poor pass.

And it took a gift from their hosts to get the champions into the game five minutes after Danielli's opening score.

This time, the slack pass came from stand-off Mike Catt, playing only his second game back after injury.

England lock Ben Kay intercepted and strode away on a 45-metre run, shrugging off Danielli and full-back Matt Perry to give Murphy a simple conversion under the posts.

Lock Ben Kay (right) scored Leicester's first try

Bath had chances to extend their lead as the error count continued to rise on both sides.

But Barkley missed four kicks at goal and they failed to make a man advantage pay when Martin Johnson was sin-binned five minutes before half-time.

Both sides improved after the break, but when Leicester took the lead in the 63rd minute, the opportunity again stemmed from another home mistake.

Murphy snapped up the loose ball produced by a Bath handling error and raced 70 yards before an offside penalty allowed Sam Vesty to kick three points.

Murphy recovered to grab Leicester's second try in the 71st minute.

And the Tigers withstood everything their hosts could throw at them in the closing stages to move ahead of Leeds and into the Premiership's top three.

Bath: Perry; Danielli, Maggs, Davy, Barkley; Catt, Cooper; Barnes, Humphries, Mallett, Borthwick, Grewcock, Beattie, Vander, N Thomas.
Replacements: Williams, Mears, Galasso, Voyce, Crockett, G Thomas, Emms.

Leicester: Murphy; Lloyd, Smith, Kafer, Tuilagi; Vesty, Hamilton; Rowntree, West, Garforth, M Johnson, Kay, Moody, Back, Corry.
Replacements: Chuter, Balding, Tournaire, Kronfeld, Booth, Tierney, Gelderbloom.

Referee: Dave Pearson (RFU).