Bath steal late win
Two late penalties from Olly Barclay saw Bath clinch an 11-6 LV= Cup victory over Newcastle at the Recreation Ground on Saturday.
Last Updated: 29/01/11 7:00pm
Two late penalties from Olly Barkley saw Bath clinch an 11-6 LV= Cup victory over Newcastle at the Recreation Ground on Saturday.
Falcons stand-off Jimmy Gopperth had given the visitors an early six-point lead with two penalties inside the first 20 minutes.
But Bath tighthead prop Aaron Jarvis crossed after half-an-hour to keep the hosts in touch before Barkley secured the win in the latter stages.
Gopperth slotted his first just two minutes in, after full-back Nick Abendanon, back from England's camp in Portugal, saw his kick charged-down.
Six minutes later Barkley had a chance to level the scores when Scotland and Lions tighthead Euan Murray was penalised at a scrum but could not find the target from 40 metres.
Abendanon put in a try-saving tackle on number eight Ally Hogg, who had been set free on the left after Barkley was caught man-and-ball by Tane Tu'ipulotu.
Unmissable
But the hosts were pinged again for offside on 19 minutes and Gopperth added his second penalty to give his side a six-point lead.
The try came in the 31st minute when Jarvis went in at the corner following some great work by Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe and Luke Watson, who had replaced injured flanker Josh Ovens.
But Barkley hit the post with his conversion attempt to leave his side trailing by a single point at the interval.
Bath's problems at the scrum continued after the restart but it was Falcons prop Murray who found himself in the sin-bin for a cynical offside offence metres from his own line.
Bath continued to batter away at Newcastle but could not find a way through and Barkley missed another penalty enabling Murray to return with his side's one-point advantage still intact.
But the Bath forwards maintained the pressure and on 68 minutes their efforts paid off when Barkley was handed an unmissable penalty chance in front of the posts.
Newcastle's indiscipline continued to hamper their efforts and with just two minutes to go Barkley made not mistake, adding a further three points to seal the win.