Jarrod Cunningham clinched victory for London Irish with a late 35-metre drop
goal and penalty.
The New Zealand-born fly-half sentenced Bristol to their fourth league defeat
in a row.
Bristol went into the game on the back of three defeats but player-coach Dean
Ryan made four changes for the visit of London Irish who fielded the same side
that beat Saracens.
England internationals Garath Archer and Spencer Brown returned from injuries
for their season debuts following injuries while fly-half Steven Vile and
flanker Matt Salter were in the starting line-up for the first time.
Vile put Bristol into an early lead with a 45-metre penalty only for his
Exiles counterpart Cunningham to land two out of his three attempts - all from
around the 25-metre mark.
Bristol scored the first try of the game, after 17 minutes, starting from a
scrum five metres from the Irish line. Skipper Agustin Pichot fed Vile who
worked cross-field before slipping the ball back inside for Brown to come
crashing through to the line.
The home side - lacking passion, ideas and commitment in recent games -
producing some enterprising moves. Pichot took a quick tap penalty deep in his
own half and found wing David Rees who made valuable ground.
The England international managed to get the ball back to Pichot who was
sprinting down the right touchline. He chipped the ball over the advancing Paul
Sackey before full-back Conor O'Shea tidied up.
Vile added the extra two points before he exchanged penalties with Cunningham
on the half-hour.
But Bristol kept up the pressure as Scotland A prop Paul Johnstone crashed
over the line, after good work by Vile who added the conversion.
Bristol went into the break 20-15 in front after Cunningham had kicked two
more penalties. Vile and Cunningham again exchanged penalties after the break.
Going into the final quarter, Yorkshire official Robin Goodliffe took over as
the match referee from Geraint Ashton Jones.
O'Shea perfectly slotted the ball between the uprights from just inside the
Bristol half before Cunningham put the Exiles in front from the 22 only for Vile
to land his fourth to restore the advantage for Bristol.
But Cunningham showed why he was the man of the match with a long-distance
drop goal and a last-minute penalty to take his tally to 27 points in the game.
Man of the Match: Jarrod Cunningham (London Irish)
Bristol: Dewdney, Rees, Simone, Mayer, S. Brown, Vile, Pichot,
Johnstone, Williams, Fullman, Ryan, Archer, Salter, Vander,
Sturnham.
Not Used: Baber, Bowen, Ogilvie-Bull, McCarrick, Sheridan,
Gerrard, McCarthy.
London Irish: O'Shea, Sackey, Matson, Wright, Bishop,
Cunningham, Campbell, Worsley, Kirke, Halford, Strudwick,
Williams, Haley, Dawson, Sheasby.
Not Used: Ellis, Everitt, Alexopoulous, Danagher, Hatley,
Hardwick, Delaney.
Att: 2,902
Ref: G Ashton-Jones (RFU).
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