Zurich Premiership strugglers Bath preserved their unbeaten home league record against Gloucester after grinding out a dour west country derby victory at the Recreation Ground.

Bath, 16 points and nine places below Gloucester before kick-off, triumphed through three Matt Perry penalties and an Iain Balshaw drop goal.

Gloucester's poor away form this season again let them down.

Despite two drop goals and a penalty from their French fly-half Ludovic Mercier, they spent large periods of a disjointed match defending.

After defeats on the road to Saracens, London Irish and Newcastle, Gloucester will kick themselves all the way back to Kingsholm following this latest setback.

The form guide suggested they went into Saturday's game with probably their best ever chance of lowering Bath's colours on home soil - but they rarely threatened in attack and could not establish their anticipated forward supremacy.

The Gloucester line-out did not function - and for once this season the Bath scrum enjoyed parity, providing a platform for captain and fly-half Mike Catt to display quality tactical kicking expertise.

Bath desperately needed victory in their quest to start climbing away from the Premiership's lower regions and they went ahead after just four minutes when Perry booted a short-range penalty.

Bath were on top during the early exchanges, but Mercier levelled matters through a sweetly-struck 35 metre drop goal just seven minutes later.

Another Perry penalty restored Bath's lead, but their only further scoring contribution of a scrappy if hard-fought opening period came through a Balshaw drop goal.

Balshaw's effort gave Bath a 9-3 interval advantage, although Gloucester immediately made inroads when Mercier slotted his second drop goal.

Bath coach Jon Callard and his opposite number Philippe Saint-Andre both made an inevitable round of substitutions as fatigue began to kick in, but another Perry penalty on 67 minutes gave Bath a degree of breathing space.

Mercier ensured a nervous finale for the vast majority of a capacity 8,200 home crowd when a 50 metre penalty went over - yet Gloucester did not threaten during the closing few minutes, and Bath held on for the 18th league success against their neighbours from 23 starts.

Gloucester were left to contemplate what might have been, and the Recreation Ground still remains a graveyard venue for them.

Teams:

Bath: Perry, Balshaw, Maggs, Tindall, Voyce, Catt, Cooper, D. Barnes, Regan, Mallett, Borthwick, Grewcock, G. Thomas, Scaysbrook, Gabey.

Replacements: Long for Regan (65), Beattie for Gabey (65).

Not Used: Williams, Hopcroft, Barkley, Danielli, El Abd.

Pens: Perry 3

Drop Goals: Balshaw

Gloucester: Todd, O'Leary, Ewens, Paul, Albanese, Mercier, Gomarsall, Collazo, Fortey, Vickery, Fidler, Cornwell, Boer, Hazell, Paramore.

Replacements: Fanolua for Ewens (74), Yachvili for Gomarsall (63), Woodman for Collazo (49), Pearce for Fidler (40), Eustace for Paramore (53).

Not Used: Simpson-Daniel, Pucciarello.

Pens: Mercier

Drop Goals: Mercier 2

Att: 8,200

Ref: Steve Lander (RFU).