Bath secured an uninspiring Zurich Premiership win at Newcastle after the Falcons had made an electric start with a try in 21 seconds.

In fog and rain, Bath resorted to the rolling maul to stifle the match and were content to win by two Chris Malone penalties and a drop goal.

Newcastle struck immediately when they won the kick-off and simply ran it along the line and - with Bath floundering - Ollie Phillips put Tom May over in the corner.

Phillips then saved a certain try when he denied Steve Booth after a box kick by Martyn Wood, although it was very close to being an early tackle as Booth leapt for the ball on the line - but it stopped a try and Newcastle cleared from the scrum under pressure.

The Falcons survived a couple of heavy duty scrums and rolling mauls with some exemplary tackling as Bath showed a startling lack of ambition with the amount of possession they had in the first quarter.

It looked like May had got his second try when he broke clear to go over in the corner - but touchjudge Brian Campsall controversially ruled the winger was in touch when the crowd behind the line clearly thought otherwise.

Referee Chris White was not popular either when he gave a penalty for going over the ball when there was not a Newcastle player in sight and Malone made it 5-3.

Malone moved Bath 6-5 ahead with a 51st-minute penalty as the rain poured down and the game also had the same miserable atmosphere with Bath content to rumble it through the forwards and Newcastle desperately trying to find a way of getting enough ball to release their backs.

Bath earned a drop goal with a rolling maul from halfway and Malone made it 9-5, before Newcastle brought on Mathew Tait and Epi Taione in an attempt to inject some pace into the game.

In injury time Newcastle took two lineouts in the corner from penalties and it looked as if May would break through - but the ball slipped from his grasp 15 metres out.

In the closing minutes Newcastle mounted a furious assault but could not find a way through and Bath resorted to yet another tedious rolling maul to close out a thoroughly disappointing match which was greeted by booing from the 8,834 crowd.