SORRY Bath crashed to their second successive Memorial Stadium defeat as Bristol Shoguns steamrollered them into submission in a dismal West Country derby.

And helping them on their way back to the Premiership basement was one of their old boys, hooker Neil McCarthy, who bulldozed over for one of three decisive second-half tries, the accurate boot of fly-half Shane Drahm doing the rest with 16 points in a 31-17 triumph.

The visitors may have been have been without many of their stars but that couldn't excuse an error-ridden performance that condemned them to defeat long before the final whistle.

Handicapped by their inability to hang on to the ball and with too many senior players way below-par Bath found themselves dragged into exactly the sort of dogfight Bristol had in mind.

And the hosts inspired by a man-of-the-match effort from lock Garath Archer took full advantage, pounding into the defensive line and forcing the infringements from which Drahm inflicted the maximum punishment to the delight of the crowd.

Yet, in truth, it was pitiful 'entertainment', the first half dominated by the seemingly-endless whistle of fussy official Roy Maybank, who had Bath coach Jon Callard seething with rage.

Maybank awarded the Shoguns three penalties inside the first five minutes, one of which Drahm slotted over from 25 metres.

The Australian repeated the trick on seven and 10 minutes both monster efforts from inside his own half but Bath also had the chance to get on the scoreboard, only to see a Matt Perry shot barely leave the ground.

Still the non-stop monotony of penalties continued, Perry finally making amends on 24 minutes after the home side were penalised for going over the top. And Bath were handed a golden opportunity to get a grip on the contest when Bristol flanker Craig Short was yellow-carded for an off-the-ball offence.

But it never happened, Drahm missing yet another shot at goal before stretching the lead with his next attempt from all of 40 metres.

As if to sum up Bath's first-half woes, Perry then scuffed another kick wide, but if Bath thought it would get any better after the break, they were sorely mistaken.

First, Perry spilled a squirming clearance kick from Drahm, then hooker Andy Long's line-out throw missed its target and as Adam Vander stormed clear, he was felled by a high tackle from Mark Gabey, who was promptly sin-binned.

While he warmed the bench, Bristol set the seal on their victory. Drahm kicked to touch, skipper Jason Little took a flat ball from the line-out and as scrum-half Dan van Zyl switched direction, Archer stormed through a gaping hole to dive over unopposed.

Drahm converted, but Bath hit back, Iain Balshaw brilliantly picking up a low Gareth Cooper pass one-handed and winning a penalty in front of the posts. But Perry's day went from bad to worse as his simple kick struck the post.

Gabey returned, but was soon retreating to behind his own line as Archer caught a McCarthy line-out, Bristol drove and McCarthy piled over for the score, Drahm again slotting the extra two points.

Four minutes later, the hosts were out of sight as Spencer Brown switched wings and rolled over in at the corner after a half-break by Luke Nabaro.

In danger of being routed, Bath played their best rugby of the match. Flanker James Scaysbrook broke through the line and sent Cooper scampering under the posts, Olly Barkley converting.

Then with six minutes left, Cooper darted through and Barkley dived over, again goalling the try.

But it was too little, much too late.

Bath: Perry, Voyce, Crockett, Balshaw, Danielli, Barkley, Cooper, Emms (Barnes 57), Long (Mears 57), Mallett (Dorsey 57), Gabey, Beattie, El Abd, Scaysbrook, Lyle (capt). Subs not used: Bellinger, Cox, Williams, Barlow.

Bristol Shoguns: Carrington (Best 67), Nabaro, Rees, Little (capt), Brown, Drahm, van Zyl, Johnstone, McCarthy (Nelson 80), Crompton, Archer (Sheridan 58), Brown, Short, Vander, Salter (Sturnham 73). Subs not used: Payne, Blake, Cadwallader.