Bath head coach Mike Ford has claimed that an improved second-half performance was behind his side's vital win over Sale Sharks in the Aviva Premiership.

The club ended a run of three consecutive league defeats last night as they earned a 12-3 victory at the Recreation Ground.

The result has temporarily moved Bath up to second place in the table, nine points behind leaders Northampton Saints.

While he concedes that his players found life tough against Sale during the opening 40 minutes, Ford has praised them for controlling the game after the break.

"I thought we might have played too much in the first half," he is quoted as saying by BBC Sport. "Their defence was very good, and they slowed the ball down really well. But our game management was better in the second half, and I felt comfortable once we were nine points in front because our defence was that good.

"We were in the top four last season until the last day and then we got knocked out. There is no way we are going to relax this season. We will keep knocking games off one by one and see where we are at the end of the season."

Bath are back in action on March 29 when they travel to London Welsh in the Aviva Premiership.