Gloucester 23-21 London Irish

Gloucester (9) 23
Tries: Balshaw Pens: Barkley 6
London Irish (18) 21
Tries: Thompstone, Ojo Cons: Hewat Pens: Hewat 3

Balshaw capped off a fine sweeping move through the backs

Gloucester usurped London Irish at the top of the Premiership after a superb second-half renaissance at Kingsholm.

The visitors took the lead through a Peter Hewat penalty before tries from winger Adam Thompstone and Topsy Ojo gave the Exiles a commanding lead.

But three Olly Barkley penalties closed the deficit at half time before he added three more kicks after the break.

And Gloucester sealed the win courtesy of a fine miss-pass from Anthony Allen to Iain Balshaw in the 71st minute.

The victory gives the Cherry and Whites a one-point lead over Irish at the top of the table, as well as arresting a three-match losing run.

But despite the result, Gloucester coach Dean Ryan will be concerned about the number of errors committed by his side in the first half.

Former All Blacks prop Greg Somerville was guilty of two offences at the scrum, which led to Hewat's first penalty and Thompstone's debut try.

The winger took advantage of an opportunist kick and chase from scrum-half Paul Hodgson, who fed the 21-year-old winger before he glided past Viliame Satala with a sidestep and touched down in the 12th minute.

Thompstone was involved in the second try on 20 minutes, linking up with Chris Hala'ufia and Delon Armitage to send England winger Ojo over in the right corner.

Hewat missed the difficult conversion from the touchline, allowing Barkley to convert three penalties to keep the home side just six points adrift at the interval.

And after a half-time dressing down from Ryan, the England back ensured Gloucester were still in the hunt, striking three second-half penalties to Hewat's one to reduce the deficit to just three points.

The home side took the lead for the first time in the match when a brilliant miss-pass from Allen allowed full-back Balshaw to sprint from 20 metres to touch down for what could prove to be a turning point in Gloucester's season.

Some of the gloss of Gloucester's win was taken off by Dave Lewis breaking his ankle.

Substitute Lewis, who is to undergo surgery, had been on the pitch for only three minutes after replacing Scotland international Rory Lawson.

Gloucester head coach Dean Ryan:
"There has been a lot of stuff thrown around about us in the last month.

"We could have trotted excuses out, but you cannot hide from pressure. We are not playing our best rugby. But we are top of the league - which, in my quiet moments, I find quite amusing!

"Everyone has been screaming for us to play more, but it is about playing at the right times."

London Irish boss Toby Booth:
"We penalised ourselves out of the game. The ball we did have in the second half, we kicked poorly away. We stopped doing the things we had been doing well.

"Gloucester is not the easiest place to come, and I am pleased with our physicality to live with them - it is just disappointing we didn't turn pressure into points.

"We had momentum in the first half, and Gloucester had it in the second."

Gloucester: Walker, Balshaw, Trinder, Allen, Simpson-Daniel, Barkley, R. Lawson, Dickinson, Azam, Somerville, Eustace, Brown, Strokosch, Satala, Delve, Lewis.

Replacements: Lewis for R. Lawson (47), Wood for Dickinson (54), Bortolami for Eustace (49), Hazell for Satala (43), Lamb for Lewis (49).

Not Used: Titterrell, Foster.

Sin Bin: Allen (52).

London Irish: D. Armitage, Ojo, Seveali'i, Mapusua, Thompstone, Hewat, Hodgson, Dermody, Paice, Lea'aetoa, Kennedy, Casey, Thorpe, Danaher, Hala'ufia, Skuse.

Replacements: Catt for Hewat (66), Coetzee for Paice (63), Skuse for Lea'aetoa (48), Hudson for Kennedy (63), Johnson for Danaher (39), Corbisiero for Skuse (69).

Not Used: Lalanne.

Sin Bin: Mapusua (62).

Att: 13,974

Ref: David Pearson (RFU).