Despite spending much of the first half under pressure, Gloucester produced a determined defensive display before taking control after the break to remain top of the Gallagher Prem table.

Freddie Thomas and Max Llewellyn scored the hosts' tries, while George Barton added two conversions and three penalties.

Bath's only points came through a try from Kepueli Tuipulotu as the visitors suffered their third consecutive defeat.

Gloucester started brightly, but Bath soon took control despite losing former Gloucester favourite Santi Carreras to an ankle injury early on.

The visitors dominated possession and territory, repeatedly threatening the Gloucester line.

Tuipulotu thought he had opened the scoring, but television replays showed he had been stopped short.

Gloucester's defensive struggles saw Ollie Thorley sent to the sin-bin for repeated infringements.

Bath were then denied another try when Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi lost possession before grounding the ball.

Having conceded 11 penalties in the opening 27 minutes, Gloucester were reduced to 13 players when Ciaran Knight also received a yellow card.

However, Barton broke the deadlock with a penalty after 31 minutes before adding two more to give Gloucester a 9-0 advantage.

Tuipulotu eventually crossed from a driving line-out just before half-time, reducing the deficit to 9-5.

Gloucester faced another setback shortly after the restart when Will Joseph became their third player to receive a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on.

Yet Bath continued to waste opportunities, allowing the hosts to regain momentum.

Caolan Englefield and Jack Clement helped create the opening for Thomas to power over for Gloucester's first try.

Bath responded by introducing four replacement forwards, but Gloucester continued to increase the pressure through their attacking play.

The visitors' problems worsened when international flanker Guy Pepper was forced off injured, leaving wing Louie Hennessey to fill in at the next scrum.

Llewellyn then crossed for Gloucester's second try, with Barton converting to complete a memorable victory.

The result keeps Gloucester at the summit of the Gallagher Prem standings, while Bath face concerns following another defeat and injuries to two key players.