Brew's try helps Bristol Rugby to half-time lead
Bristol lead Harlequins at half-time in their Guinness Premiership clash at the Memorial Stadium.
The home side, who went into the match 13 points adrift of eleventh-placed Worcester, went in front through a Neil Brew try, which was converted by Ed Barnes.
Quins hit back through hooker Gary Botha's score, but Bristol shaded the opening 40 minutes and deserve their lead.
Bristol were forced into an early change when fly-half Adrian Jarvis, playing against his former club, was on the receiving end of a late tackle and hobbled off.
Chris Malone sent a 40-metre penalty off target for the visitors, before Brew opened the scoring on 20 minutes.
Bristol went wide off a scrum, with David Lemi and Lee Robinson testing the Quins defence, before switching play to the other side through Luke Eves, David Blaney and Brew, who went over.
It was the first try Quins had conceded in more than 300 minutes of Premiership rugby – and when replacement Barnes landed the conversion, Bristol led 7-0.
The visitors hit back on 29 minutes through hooker Botha. Tom Arscott called a mark and kicked downfield, but Quins returned the kick, with Andy Gomarsall sending Botha in from 15 metres to score.
Malone failed with the conversion, before Barnes missed a penalty for Bristol, and the hosts went into the break with a slender lead.
Bristol: T Arscott; L Robinson, Neil Brew, L Eves, D Lemi; A Jarvis (E Barnes 4), S Perry; M Irish, D Blaney, D Crompton, D Attwood, N Budgett, R Pennycook, J El Abd (capt), D Ward-Smith. Reps: M Regan, W Thompson, R Winters, A To'oala, H Thomas, Nathan Brew.
Scorers: Try – Neil Brew. Con – Barnes.
Harlequins: M Brown; D Strettle, G Tiesi, J Turner-Hall, T Williams; C Malone, A Gomarsall; C Jones, G Botha, M Ross, O Kohn, G Robson, C Robshaw, W Skinner (capt), T Guest. Reps: A Croall, M Lambert, J Evans, N McMillan, J Poluleuligaga, W Luveniyali, U Monye.
Scorers: Try – Botha.
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