Aviva Premiership: Leicester Tigers see off struggling London Welsh
Leicester scored three unanswered tries to record a 28-12 Premiership win over London Welsh at Welford Road on Saturday.
Last Updated: 09/02/13 5:44pm
Adam Thompstone's touchdown and three George Ford penalties opened up a 16-3 lead for the hosts at the break.
Gordon Ross kicked a three-pointer in the first half for Welsh before adding three more in the second period to close the gap, but tries by Niall Morris and Dan Bowden sealed the victory for Leicester.
With several internationals away, this was perhaps Welsh's best chance to secure a win over one of England's traditional powerhouses.
They certainly got off to a good start when Ross slotted a penalty after two minutes. But despite their absentees, the Tigers have the strength-in-depth to cope with those losses.
And Ford levelled matters with a three-pointer before adding another from the tee soon after. Although the Exiles started brightly, the hosts gradually began to grind them down.
Lyn Jones' men eventually succumbed to the pressure when Thompstone touched down to take the score to 13-3.
Leicester's fly-half then extended their advantage to 13 points at the interval after Michael Hills had been sin-binned.
However, London Welsh are a belligerent outfit and refused to fold to their more illustrious opponents. They got themselves back into the game through three Ross penalties in quick succession, but almost immediately the Tigers hit back through Morris' try to relieve the pressure.
Despite that setback, Welsh continued to press and Jordan Crane found himself off the field for 10 minutes after a cynical infringement saw the back-rower yellow carded. But the visitors couldn't take advantage and Bowden's last minute touchdown secured the win.