Bath collected the maximum possible spoils from their Aviva Premiership clash with Newcastle Falcons, but first-team coach Brad Davis admitted they were off the boil.

A second-half try blitz reversed an 8-14 half-time deficit, with young fly-half Tom Heathcote – who was celebrating his 20th birthday – pulling the strings with some panache in the absence of the injured Stephen Donald.

Two tries by Olly Woodburn, a touchdown by Anthony Perenise and a penalty try gave Bath a winning bonus point, as they made it four wins on the bounce.

But Davis said: “If you‘d said at the start of the game that we would win and score four tries, I’d have bitten your hand off.

“As it is, we are happy with the result but not necessarily with the performance. We are a bit half-empty. We know we can do a whole lot better.”

Newcastle made their chartered flight to the West Country count for something with a losing bonus point. And the relegation-threatened Falcons deserve plaudits for snatching that precious Aviva Premiership point with the final play of the game.

Replacement scrum half Will Chudley made the most of some lethargic Bath defending to dot down deep into injury time. Fly-half Jimmy Gopperth was confronted with a touchline conversion which he needed if the visitors were to steal the bonus point – and the cool as a cucumber Kiwi duly slotted the kick.

For Newcastle’s newly installed director of rugby, former Springbok assistant coach Gary Gold, it was an afternoon of mixed emotions.

“We need to start winning away from home and play for 80 minutes, not 40 minutes like we did today,” said Gold. “We undid ourselves at the start of the second half with some silly penalties, which were caused by our enthusiasm.

“But I’m proud of the team because of their tenacity – they never gave up.”

Birthday boy Heathcote started at fly-half for Bath after Donald strained his medial knee ligaments, an injury which could keep the New Zealander out of action for six weeks.

But Bath did not suffer in their World Cup winner’s absence, with Heathcote playing a part in the build-up to three of his side’s four tries.

Bath knocked on with alarming regularity in the first half and struggled at the scrum, but Newcastle’s indiscipline prevented the visitors from gaining a solid foothold.

Olly Barkley got the scoreboard moving in just the second minute when Newcastle were penalised at the ruck, but the inside centre failed to double that lead 10 minutes later when he had another chance from the kicking tee.

Woodburn scored his first try after Heathcote looped around Barkley, jinked outside the defence and delivered a well-timed pass. Barkley pushed the conversion.

But Newcastle hit back straight away. Bath scrum half Michael Claassens delivered a high pass in his own 22 that Barkley couldn’t cling to, and the Newcastle pack went for the kill. The forwards piled in, providing Gopperth with the platform to release Number 8 Mark Wilson with a gorgeous cut-out pass. The fly-half converted from the left touchline.

Newcastle scored again when Woodburn was slow to deal with Gopperth’s kick deep into Bath’s half. The Falcons got the better of their hosts at the resulting scrum before hooker Rob Vickers bundled over the whitewash.

Gopperth converted, and a missed long-range penalty from Heathcote on the stroke of half time meant Newcastle changed ends with a six-point lead.

But three tries between and 50th and 65th minutes propelled Bath to victory.

Woodburn grabbed his second after beating opposite number Suka Hufanga to Perenise’s theatrical grubber. Referee Dean Richards then awarded a penalty try when Gopperth tackled Tom Biggs without the ball as the Bath winger was about to finish off a neat kick-and-chase instigated by Heathcote. The Bath outside half added the two extra points.

Richards sent Gopperth to the cooler for his troubles and Bath made the extra man count, Perenise finishing off a powerful maul as Newcastle were penalised time after time. Heathcote was again on target with the conversion.

The two fly halves each landed a penalty before Chudley and Gopperth conspired to secure the Falcons a last-gasp bonus point, which was nothing less than they deserved.

Bath: Vesty, Woodburn, Banahan, Barkley, Biggs, Heathcote, Claassens, Flatman, Mears, Perenise, Attwood, Caldwell, Skirving, Louw, Taylor. Replacements: Carraro for Barkley (67), Catt for Flatman (57), Dixon for Mears (70), Palma-Newport for Perenise (76), Ovens for Louw (79), Mercer for Taylor (47). Not Used: Cook, Scott, Abendanon.

Scorers: Tries – Woodburn 2, Penalty, Perenise. Cons – Heathcote 2. Pens – Barkley, Heathcote.

Newcastle: Goosen, Shortland, Helleur, Fitzpatrick, Hufanga, Gopperth, Pilgrim, Shiells, Vickers, Murray, Fondse, Swinson, Welch, Hogg, Wilson. Replacements: Chudley for Pilgrim (70), Thompson for Vickers (69), van der Heijden for Swinson (67), Tu’ifua for Welch (61). Not Used: Golding, Hall, Bedford, Hodgson.

Scorers: Tries – Wilson, Vickers, Chudley. Cons – Gopperth 3. Pens – Gopperth.

Attendance: 11,944

Referee: Dean Richards (RFU).