Bristol slip to defeat at Newport
Iain Balshaw was on the scoresheet for Bath
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Friday, 12, Jan 2007 10:57
Newport pushed Bristol down into second place in Pool One of the European Challenge Cup, as the Guinness Premiership leaders were edged out 17-11 at Rodney Parade.
After a try from Gareth Wyatt had helped Newport go in at half time 10-6 ahead, Bristol took the lead shortly after the restart following a try from Lee Robinson, but Paul Emerick's 54th minute try was enough to give the home side a valuable victory.
Both sides will expect to qualify for the quarter-finals, with Bristol needing to beat Bucuresti and the Dragons needing a bonus-point win against bottom-of-the-group Bayonne next week. Bayonne saw off Bucuresti 38-31 in the evening's other game.
Other English sides in the competition had better nights in Pools Three and Four. Bath consolidated their position at the top of Pool Four with a 26-36 win away at Connacht. Tries from Andy Beattie, Olly Barkley and a hattrick of scores from Michael Stephenson saw off a committed Connacht side.
Harlequins securing second place in the same group courtesy of a similar ten point win, 27-37 at Montpellier.
The top of the group clash in Pool Three saw in-form Newcastle triumph 24-17 at Brive thanks to a second half comeback.
The Falcons trailed 0-7 before a Brent Wilson try put them back in the game on the stroke of half time, and second half scores from Lee Dickson and Loki Crichton gave the north east side an impressive win over their French opposition.
The other Pool Three game saw Montauban kept themselves in the hunt with a 19-7 win over Petrarca, who remain one of only two sides in the competition who have yet to score a point.
Saturday's games will see both Worcester and Saracens play at home, against Clermont Auvergne and Narbonne respectively.