Gallagher Premiership leaders Bath Rugby claimed the full five points at The Rec on Saturday, but they were made to work by a battling Newcastle Falcons side.

The hosts led 17-12 at half-time and did not take long to find their stride – Ciaran Donoghue weaving a 60-metre route to the try-line for a superb counter-attack score just two minutes in.

The fly-half converted his own try from the right-hand side, and it took the TMO to deny them a second try quickly after when Cameron Redpath was ruled offside at the back of a line-out.

Both teams kicked penalties to the corner but failed to convert in a scrappy start to the contest – Newcastle finally grabbing a foothold 15 minutes in when Cameron Neild scored an unconverted try from a catch-and-drive in the right corner.

Bath were reduced to 14 men on the quarter mark when Sam Underhill was sin-binned for a high tackle on Falcons skipper Callum Chick, but they led by five when he returned after Donoghue’s simple penalty on the half-hour.

That he took the three points was a mark of respect to the Falcons’ stoic goal-line defence, which had repelled wave after wave of pick-and-go from the home side.

But there was no stopping scrum-half Tom Carr Smith on 32 minutes when he ran in Bath’s second try, accepting an inside pass after a line-break from Louie Hensssey down the right.

Donoghue added the simple conversion, and the Falcons’ task became all the more difficult when full-back Louis Brown was shown a straight red card for a high tackle on his own 22.

It became 14-men apiece for ten minutes when Cameron Redpath was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on after a neat chip-and-chase from Max Clark, and the visitors made the most of the midfield space as opposite number Connor Doherty powered through a midfield hole to score.

Brett Connon’s conversion reduced Bath’s half-time lead to 17-12, and it got even better for the Falcons just a minute after the resumption when Doherty hit a similarly stunning line for his second try.

Connon’s conversion put the visitors up by two, but the league leaders were quickly back in front when lock Quinn Roux exploited the lack of a full-back to race home from the 22 for a converted try.

The Falcons kept on pressing and enjoyed another incursion into the red zone through Adam Brocklebank’s line-break, only to lose possession a few phases later, but they were giving the league leaders a genuine contest.

Bath, nonetheless, racked up their four-try bonus point on 52 minutes when flanker Sam Underhill hit a hard support line from a Donoghue break, and quickly added to it when full-back Austin Emens recorded a quickfire brace.

The Falcons finished the game strongly with a succession of red-zone penalties, but the bonus-point try just would not come as Redpath added one more for the league leaders.

Newcastle Falcons: 15 Louis Brown, 14 Alex Hearle, 13 Connor Doherty (Oli Spencer, 59), 12 Max Clark (Sammy Arnold, 54), 11 Ben Stevenson, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Sam Stuart (Max Pepper, 57); 1 Adam Brocklebank (Micky Rewcastle, 65), 2 Jamie Blamire (Ollie Fletcher, 57), 3 Richard Palframan (Murray McCallum, 10), 4 John Hawkins (Oscar Usher, 31), 5 Sebastian de Chaves, 6 Freddie Lockwood, 7 Cameron Neild, 8 Callum Chick (captain, Ollie Leatherbarrow, 69).

Scorers – Tries: Cameron Neild, Connor Doherty 2. Conversions: Brett Connon 2.

Bath Rugby: 15 Austin Emens 14 Ruaridh McConnochie, 13 Cameron Redpath, 12 Will Butt, 11 Louie Hennessey, 10 Ciaran Donoghue (Finn Russell, 54), 9 Tom Carr-Smith (Louis Schreuder, 54); 1 Francois van Wyk (Thomas du Toit, 54), 2 Niall Annett (Tom Dunn, 54), 3 Will Stuart (ArchieGriffin, 54), 4 Quinn Roux (Guy Pepper, 54), 5 Charlie Ewels (captain), 6 Ted Hill, 7 Sam Underhill (Josh Bayliss, 60), 8 Alfie Barbeary (Kepu Tuipulotu, 54).

Scorers – Tries: Ciaran Donoghue, Tom Carr-Smith, Quinn Roux, Sam Underhill, Austin Emens 2, Cameron Redpath. Conversions: Ciaran Donoghue 4, Finn Russell 2. Penalties: Ciaran Donoghue.

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys.