Bath 21

Connacht 19

Connacht, for the second week running, saw victory snatched away from them in injury-time as Bath produced a converted try to win this European Challenge Cup tie at The Rec.

A week earlier Connacht were poised for victory against NEC Harlequins only to be pipped 19-18 with a stoppage time penalty.

Michael Bradley’s men produced an excellent performance at The Rec and looked like holding on for a deserved win, only for Bath to produce a late rally.

Connacht stated their intentions early on and took a firm grip of proceedings from the outset, with a Paul Warwick penalty after four minutes giving them an ideal start.

However, skipper John Fogarty was binned after 13 minutes for going in from the side, but Connacht held their lead while down to 14 men.

Bath equalised when Chris Malone converted a 24th penalty before Connacht scrum-half, who was making his first match of the season, had to retire with a knee injury. He was replaced by Chris Keane.

Eight minutes later Paul Warwick, running at the Bath ten metre line, off-loaded in contact to release full back Daniel Riordan. Riordan did well to control the ball before breaking through the Bath line. With no support over either shoulder Riordan ran a line between full back Perry and outside centre Shaun Berne before touching down under the posts.

Warwick added the points to make it 10-3 to Connacht.

Bath struck back through the boot of Malone to narrow the gap to four, and they reduced it to 10-9 by the break with another Malone after Keane was binned by French referee David Rosich.

Connacht got back on top after the restart and Warwick increased their lead after 45 minites with a penalty from outside the 22 after Bath were penalised for not rolling away.

Connacht, playing some of their best rugby of the season, started to turn the screw. Warwick made it 16-9 after 54 minutes with another penalty.

The Brett Strugess won back possession for Keane to set up Warwick for a drop goal which pushed Connacht ten points in front with 17 minutes remaining.

Bath came back strongly but English international prop David Flatman was binned after 66 minutes. Nevertheless, Bath continued to raise their game and opted to run a close range penalty with seven minutes remaining.

For two minutes they charged the Connacht line as the crowd roared. When they went wide in the near right corner, they had a two man overlap and Tom Cheeseman went over in the corner. Malone failed to convert and that left Connacht holding a 19-14 lead with seven minutes remaining.

Connacht battled bravely to the end and seemed poised for victory until French international winger David Bory got in at the right corner in the second minute of injury-time to level the match.

The crowd of 10,308 went silent as Malone landed the conversion from the right to give Bath their second win in the competition.

SCORERS:

Bath:                 

Tries: Cheeseman, Bory

Con: Malone

Pens: Malone (3)

Connacht:

Try: Riordan

Con: Warwick

Pens: Warwick (3)

Drop goal: Warwick

Bath: Matt Perry; Tom Cheeseman, Shaun Berne, Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, David Bory; Chris Malone, Nick Walshe; David Barnes, Rob Hawkins, David Flatman; Peter Short, Rob Fidler; Andy Beattie, James Scaysbrook, Zak Feaunati.

Replacements: Danny Grewcock for Short, half time; Lee Mears for Hawkins, 55 mins; Laurence Ovens for Feaunati, 63mins; Feaunati for Flatman, 80mins.

Connacht: Daniel Riordan; Keith Matthews, John Hearty, Gavin Williams, Darren Yapp; Paul Warwick, Tom Tierney; Ray Hogan, John Fogarty, Brett Sturgess; David Gannon, Andrew Farley; John Muldoon, Ray Ofisa, Colm Rigney.

Replacements: Chris Keane for Tierney, 26mins; Conor McPhillips for Yapp, half time; Flavin for Fogarty, 58mins; Brett Wilkinson for Hogan, 72mins.

Referee: David Rosich (France).