Jarrod Cunningham booted eight penalties and a 35 metre dropped goal to clinch a 30-26 victory for London Irish at Bristol.

The New Zealand-born fly-half - top scorer in the Premiership last season - sentenced Bristol to their fourth league defeat in a row. Irish now have three wins out of four.

England internationals Garath Archer and Spencer Brown returned from injuries to make their season's debuts for Bristol while fly-half Steven Vile and flanker Matt Salter were in the starting line-up for the first time.

Vile put Bristol into an early lead with a 45-metre penalty but Cunningham began his scoring spree with two out of his first three goal attempts going over from around the 25-metre mark.

Bristol grabbed the first try after 17 minutes, starting from a scrum five metres from the Irish line. Home skipper Agustin Pichot fed Vile who worked cross-field before slipping the ball back inside for Brown to come crashing through to the line.

Bristol producing some enterprising moves, and Pichot went close to a try after a quick tap penalty and a breakout involving an exchange of passes with England wing David Rees.

Then Scotland A prop Paul Johnstone crashed over for Bristol's second try, after good work by Vile who added the conversion for a 20-15 half-time lead.

Bristol went into the break 20-15 in front after two further Cunningham penalties, and there was another penalty apiece by the New Zealand and Vile early in the second half.

Irish skipper Conor O'Shea temporarily took on the kicking to land a long range penalty before Cunningham and Vile slotted another goal each.

Cunningham's final two kicks sealed it for Irish, who moved up two places in the table to seventh.

Speculation that former England coach Jack Rowell, a non-executive director at Bristol, is about to take a larger role at the ailing club got a non-committal comment from current coach Dean Ryan.

``I've always been able to speak to Jack about the club, and that position hasn't changed,'' said Ryan.

As for Irish's director rugby Dick Best, he was not entirely happy despite the win. ``Bristol played all the rugby;" said Best. "We could still be out there and still not look like crossing their line. We need to step things up a bit before we go to Leicester next weekend."

Scoring sequence

1 min Vile pen 3-0
5 mins Cunningham pen 3-3
7 mins Cunningham pen 3-6
16 mins Vile try/Vile con 10-6
29 mins Cunningham pen 10-9
32 mins Vile pen 13-9
38 mins Johnstone try/Vile con 20-9
40 mins Cunningham pen 20-12
40 mins+ Cunningham pen 20-15

half-time 20-15

47 mins Vile pen 23-15
53 mins Cunningham pen 23-18
69 mins O'Shea pen 23-21
73 mins Cunningham pen 23-24
75 mins Vile pen 26-24
77 mins Cunningham drop 26-27
80 mins+ Cunningham pen 26-30

Bristol - tries: Vile, Johnstone; cons: Vile 2; pens: Vile 4

London Irish - pens: Cunningham 8, O'Shea; drop: Cunningham