Gift-Wrapped!

Olly Barkley booted five penalties as the home side maintained their vice-like grip on top spot and took revenge for their sole defeat so far this term at Kingston Park back in October.

Andy Beattie also bulldozed his way over late on to cap another home success, achieved despite never hitting the heights of performance in what was a dire match.

But match official Rowden will certainly not be on the Falcons' Christmas card list after making a series of errors albeit on both sides in an unnecessarily fussy display.

Not that Newcastle could pin all the blame on the man in the middle.

The absence of 'you-know who' in their No 10 shirt was keenly felt by Rob Andrew's men as Walder suffered a torrid afternoon with the boot, missing four first-half shots at goal that could have sent his side in on level terms.

Instead, they trailed 9-0 to three Barkley successes, although the validity of two of the penalties was open to debate.

There was little argument when Newcastle prevented release at a sixth-minute ruck and Barkley booted the hosts in front.

Walder then clipped the flag on top of the left-hand post with his first effort and his side were similarly unlucky in the 11th minute when Rowden inexplicably awarded Bath a penalty even though Steve Borthwick had clearly been turned over by some ferocious visitors' tackling.

Another two Walder misses followed, and Rowden then harshly penalised Jamie Noon for lying on the ball, despite the fact that he had three Bath players on top of him and Barkley rubbed salt into the wounds with his third kick.

Try chances had been thin on the ground at that stage, but Bath almost broke through when Matt Perry was held up just short by some more excellent visiting defending.

Walder's afternoon threatened to distintegrate on the half-time whistle as chance No 4 went by, but he finally got his side on the board within seconds of the restart from 40 metres.

Barkley then released wing Wylie Human with a clever long pass and was on hand to kick the penalty when Rowden penalised prop Micky Ward for illegal use of the shoulder.

It was all Bath pressure and the Falcons cracked with 11 minutes left as the forwards rumbled off a lineout and drove Beattie across the line.

Barkley missed the conversion and Walder made some amends for his earlier inaccuracy with a searing break that set up a try for flanker Phil Dowson.

Walder then landed a tricky conversion that at least seemed to have secured a bonus point. But, fittingly, Rowden's whistle denied the Falcons that in injury-time as Barkley booted his final penalty to seal it.

Bath: Perry (Kydd 80), Higgins, Crockett, Maggs, Human (Danielli 76), Barkley, Martens, Flatman (Barnes 74), Humphreys (capt) (Mears 66), Bell, Borthwick, Fidler, Beattie, Lipman (Scaysbrook 68), Feaunati (Gray 74). Subs not used: Blake.

Newcastle Falcons: Shaw, May, Noon, Mayerhofler (capt), Stephenson, Walder, Brindal, Peel, Thompson (Makin 51), Ward, Grimes, Andrews (Archer 51), Dunbar, Dowson, Britz. Subs not used: Wilson, Parling, Godman, Richardson, M Wilkinson.

Referee: Ashley Rowden (RFU)

Attendance: 9,980