Bristol fight back to edge past Exeter

The Prem

Bristol (8) 18

Tries: Mata, Oghre Cons: Worsley Pens: Jordan, Worsley

Exeter (14) 14

Tries: Slade, Hammersley Cons: Slade 2

Bristol Bears fought back to pip Exeter Chiefs 18-14 in a fiercely-fought West Country derby at Ashton Gate.

A Tom Jordan penalty and Viliame Mata's score put the Bears 8-0 up, but Henry Slade crossed and, after Jordan was shown a red card, Ben Hammersley's try put the Chiefs 14-8 up at the break.

Bears started the second half better and took back the lead moments after returning to full strength as Gabriel Oghre dotted down.

Exeter piled on the pressure, but saw a Harvey Skinner try overturned with 10 minutes left before Sam Worsley kicked a last-gasp penalty to seal Bristol's second Prem win of the season.

The sides shared 24 tries in their two meetings last season, and piled up 90 points the last time they met at Ashton Gate.

But an injury-ravaged Bristol showed a different side to their usual attacking flair to inflict a first Prem defeat of the season on Exeter. The win moves them up to fourth, as the Chiefs drop to fifth.

England prop Ellis Genge's return gave the Bears some relief from relentless early season injury woes, and he forced the penalty for Jordan to boot the Bears ahead within 90 seconds.

The visitors boasted almost 90% territory in the opening 20 minutes but ferocious home defence kept them pointless, with Slade also missing a makeable penalty.

By contrast, the Bears were clinical with their sparse attacking possession as the game burst into life after a slow-burning first 26 minutes.

Exeter's defence lost its shape as the ball was worked quickly to the right and Mata stepped away from two challenges to run in.

But the Chiefs hit back immediately, as breaks from Skinner and Will Goodrick-Clarke pulled the Bears out of shape, and Slade finished off a two-on-one.

Rob Baxter's side then hit the front two minutes after Jordan was shown a red card for putting a shoulder into Ross Vintcent's head.

Skinner's flat pass sent Paul Brown-Bampoe scampering away before Hammersley dummied past Santiago Grondona for a second converted try in four minutes.

The Bears survived the rest of Jordan's red card without further damage and began to put the Chiefs defence under sustained pressure.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Steve Varney did well to hold up Oscar Lennon over the line, but the visitors had no answer to a powerful driving maul as Oghre peeled off to dot down.

Just moments after wrestling back the lead, Bristol were a man down again as Max Pepper saw yellow for a deliberate knock-on.

Genge then walked gingerly off the pitch, 64 minutes into his return, as Bears were forced to defend their line under almost incessant pressure before the game's turning point in the 71st minute.

Bristol looked to be staring down the barrel when Skinner forced his way over for a score, with Fitz Harding shown a yellow card as the hosts coughed up a succession of penalties.

But TMO David Rose overturned both for an earlier Exeter lineout infringement, galvanising the hosts who added gloss to a narrow win as Worsley split the posts with a brilliant penalty.

Bristol: Elizalde, Carrington, Bates, van Rensburg, Ravouvou, Jordan, Marmion; Genge, Oghre, Kloska, Rubiolo, Batley, Grondona, Harding (c), Mata.

Replacements: Thacker, Woolmore, Chawatama, Dun, Owen, Lennon, Worsley, Pepper.

Red card: Jordan (32).

Sin-bin: Pepper (60).

Exeter: John, Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Hammersley, Brown-Bampoe, Skinner, Varney; Goodrick-Clarke, Yeandle, Iosefa-Scott, Jenkins (c), Zambonin, Roots, Fisilau, Vintcent.

Replacements: Heaven, Burger, Tchumbadze, Tuima, Pearson, James, Chapman, Lilley.

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe.