Leaders Leicester ended London Irish's unbeaten record at the Madejski Stadium as they took another relentless step towards a Premiership title hat-trick.

Two tries from Tim Stimpson, and one apiece by Neil Back and Geordan Murphy silenced the Exiles' season-best crowd of just over 7,500.

And it means that Tigers, who netted the maximum five-point haul on offer, retain a comfortable advantage over the Premiership's chasing pack.

Although the champions' accolade will be bizarrely bestowed on this season's inaugural play-off winners, no-one can seriously question Leicester's standing as the best team in England.

Irish, who had won all eight of their previous home matches since moving to Reading from The Stoop last summer, fell away after trailing just 7-6 at half-time.

Once Back and Murphy scored in quick succession, there was no way back for Dick Best's team, whose own play-off hopes were dented as a result.

The Leicester players, angered by this week's Zurich Championship announcement, once again did their talking where it mattered most - out on the pitch.

With four of their remaining six Premiership games scheduled at fortress Welford Road - Tigers haven't lost a league match on home soil since December, 1997 - the title looks a formality.

Irish competed well, full-back Justin Bishop and wing Nnamdi Ezulike proving lively attacking threats, but they had to content themselves with three Barry Everitt penalties.

The first-half proved a real contest, Leicester securing a slender interval advantage thanks to full-back Stimpson's converted try.

But Irish competed fiercely in all departments, and arguably deserved more than two Barry Everitt penalties before the break.

Leicester paraded all their England big guns, with Austin Healey shrugging off an ankle injury to start at fly-half instead of Andy Goode.

Murphy made a thrilling first-minute break from deep inside Leicester's 22, yet opposite number Ezulike responded through a similarly aggressive counter-attack.

Everitt booted Irish ahead on eight minutes, landing a wide-angled penalty in between Stimpson missing two kicks at goal, and that strike gave the Exiles confidence.

Leicester had their chances, notably centre Pat Howard intercepting a Richard Kirke pass that took him into acres of space, but he didn't have the pace and Ezulike easily caught him.

Australian referee Stuart Dickinson then penalised Howard for not releasing in the tackle, although Leicester only had another five minutes to wait before they breached the home defence.

Howard's midfield colleague Ollie Smith ran wide, and the supporting Stimpson surged clear for a try that he also converted.

Irish, battling to subdue the Leicester forwards, had lost their early spark, but a 40-metre Everitt penalty as rain swept across the stadium set up an intriguing second period.

Typically though, Tigers killed the game during a one-sided third quarter.

Back was driven over in trademark fashion from a close range line-out, and Howard's midfield invention allowed Murphy to cross unopposed with the Irish defence at sixes and sevens.

The game fizzled out after that, but there was enough time for Stimpson to added his second converted try, giving him 18 points in total and Leicester another comprehensive triumph.

Teams:

London Irish:

Pens: Everitt 3.

London Irish: Bishop, Sackey, Appleford, Wright, Ezulike, Everitt, Tonu'u, Hatley, Kirke, Hardwick, Strudwick, Williams, Halvey, Allen, Sheasby.

Replacements: Oliver for Wright (59), Danaher for Halvey (57), Campbell for Allen (63).

Not Used: Alexopoulous, Halford, Bates, Delaney.

Leicester:

Tries: Stimpson 2, Back, Murphy.

Cons: Stimpson 4.

Leicester: Stimpson, Tuilagi, Smith, Howard, Murphy, Healey, Hamilton, Rowntree, West, Garforth, M. Johnson, Deacon, W. Johnson, Back, Corry.

Replacements: Goode for Hamilton (71), Freshwater for Rowntree (76), O'Reilly for W. Johnson (76).

Not Used: Balding, Gelderbloom, Short, Moody.

Att: 7,591

Ref: Stuart Dickinson (Australia).