Try-hungry wing Tom Voyce collected a Heineken Cup hat-trick as Bath tightened their grip on Pool Three with a comfortable 38-9 victory over Swansea at the Recreation Ground.

Voyce proved too hot to handle for the Swansea defence, claiming two touchdowns during the closing eight minutes when Bath racked up 19 unanswered points.

He was also on the score sheet during Bath's surprise win in Biarritz last Saturday, and on current form, there are very few better finishers in the English game.

Centre Kevin Maggs rubbed salt into Swansea's wounds with an injury-time touchdown, while full-back Matt Perry booted 18 points through four penalties and three conversions.

Arwel Thomas kicked three Swansea penalties, but the match was dominated by French referee Didier Mene's whistle.

Mene allowed neither side any leeway whatsoever, repeatedly blowing up for the most minor of infringements, and it was no surprise that neither side failed to establish any worthwhile attacking rhythm.

Bath fly-half Mike Catt, the hero of Biarritz, constantly probed for gaps in the Swansea defence, and two of Voyce's tries came as a direct result of his creative flair.

Swansea had two players sin-binned in the second half - lock Tyrone Maullin and replacement hooker Chris Wells - and they spent much of that second period on the back foot.

Full-back Kevin Morgan wasted their best try-scoring chance just before half-time, failing to find wings Brian Lima and Richard Rees, who were both unmarked outside him just 10 metres from the Bath line.

It took just seven minutes for Voyce, capped by England on their summer tour of North America, to make an impact.

Iain Balshaw's testing kick caused panic in the Swansea defence and when the ball found Catt, he cleverly switched the direction of attack and Voyce sprinted through a huge gap.

Perry converted and then kicked two penalties after Thomas eventually found his range following three penalty misses in six minutes.

Trailing 13-3 at the break, Swansea needed to make an impression early in the second half, and when Bath flanker Gavin Thomas was sin-binned for a technical infringement just after Thomas had slotted his second penalty, a revival looked on the cards, but it all went pear-shaped very quickly, Thomas missing a simple drop goal chance, and then Maullin being yellow-carded after a dust-up that nullified Swansea's one-man advantage.

Another Perry penalty on the hour mark restored Bath's 10-point cushion and the closing stages belonged exclusively to the 1998 European champions.

Voyce was worked clear on a three-man overlap to make the game safe, and as Swansea's heads dropped, so Bath punished them.

Catt again opened up the Swansea defence for Voyce to complete his hat-trick and then Maggs sprinted 50 metres without a Swansea player touching him after possession bobbled free in midfield.

Bath are now well on course for the last eight - an achievement that has eluded them since they lifted the Heineken Cup - but Swansea, whose skipper Scott Gibbs was a frustrated leader for much of the game, must lift themselves for critical back-to-back appointments with Biarritz, starting in three weeks' time.

Bath:

Perry, Balshaw, Maggs, Tindall, Voyce, Catt, Williams, D. Barnes, Long, Mallett, Borthwick, Grewcock, G. Thomas, N. Thomas, Lyle.

Replacements: Barkley for Tindall (80).

Not Used: Cooper, Regan, Emms, Thirlby, Beattie, Gabey.

Sin Bin: G. Thomas (48).

Tries: Voyce 3, Maggs.

Cons: Perry 3.

Pens: Perry 4.

Swansea:

K. Morgan, Rees, Payne, Gibbs, Lima, A. Thomas, Martens, Morris, G. Jenkins, Evans, Maullin, Moore, Lewis, Charvis, H. Jenkins.

Replacements: Witkowski for Payne (76), Henson for A. Thomas (73), Marsters for Morris (74), Wells for G. Jenkins (67), L. Jones for Charvis (80), D. Thomas for H. Jenkins (62).

Not Used: R. Jones.

Pens: A. Thomas 3.

Sin Bin: Maullin (52), Wells (79).

Att: 7,727

Ref: Didier Mene (France).