Saracens 37 Bristol 13: Bristol's bid to avoid relegation suffered a double blow after losing for the 10th time in the season at Vicarage Road.

Newcastle's shock 10-7 victory over title-chasing Gloucester means Richard Hill's side are now seven points adrift of the Falcons.

The northerners visit the Memorial Stadium in the next Guinness Premiership match on Friday, Friday 13, which could make or break Bristol's top flight status.

Lose that game and Hill's side could be cut off 11 points away from escaping the drop zone.

Bottom club Bristol trailed by 16 points at half time of this Guinness Premiership clash.

Saracens opened the scoring on 10 minutes when prop Matias Aguero dived over after some very weak attempted tackles from hooker Scott Linklater and scrum-half Shaun Perry. Glen Jackson converted.

The hosts grabbed their second try four minutes later following a woeful clearance kick from Perry.

Flanker Andy Saull sprinted around Bristol No 8 Dan Ward-Smith on halfway and the Sarries back row forward was allowed to reach the Bristol five metre line before giving the try scoring pass to the supporting Brad Barritt. Jackson converted for a 14-0 lead.

But Bristol hit back almost immediately. Nathan Brew and Vunga Lilo were brought down five metres short before the visitors created an overlap for Linklater to go over at the corner. Barnes added the extras.

Bristol suffered a blow on 21 minutes when Linklater hobbled off with an injury to his lower leg.

That left his replacement, David Blaney, as the club's only fit hooker with Mark Regan and academy player Ryan Prosser also sidelined.

Head coach Richard Hill would have been concerned three minutes later when Blaney went down clutching his right shoulder but he was able to continue after treatment from physio Richard Mack.

Bristol, forced to defend for long periods, went 20-7 behind after conceding two penalties within two minutes on 31 minutes.

The visitors were denied a second try on the stroke of half time when Nathan Brew intercepted and passed to his namesake Neil but the centre was pulled back after flanker Alfie To'oala tackled a player off the ball. Jackson slotted the resulting penalty.

Barnes reduced the deficit to 13 points with a penalty on 48 minutes.

Sarries No 8 Ben Skirving knocked on when trying to score a try on 49 minutes but the back row forward was not to be denied and scored the hosts' third try a minute later.

Referee Martin Fox had been playing advantage for a Bristol infringement and from the resulting line-out a rolling maul on the blindside caught the visitors napping to go over. Jackson's touchline conversion went in off the post.

Barnes landed a penalty on 55 minutes and Bristol did well to keep out Saracens on 66 minutes when replacement second row Roy Winters and No 8 Dan Ward-Smith held up Wikus van Heerden over the line.

Blaney was yellow carded with four minutes for killing the ball, reducing Bristol to 14 men.

And a minute later Saracens claimed the bonus point try when, from a catch and drive from a line-out, England skipper Steve Borthwick touched down. Replacement fly-half Gordon Ross converted.