WASPS lost further ground at the top of the Premiership with a disappointing draw at Bristol on Sunday.

The result means Wasps have won just once on their travels since November and have failed to win any of their last three games against sides struggling at the wrong end of the table.

Try-scoring has also become a worry with just two tries in the last three games, with Wasps failing to grab a try against Bristol.

It was a poor showing on Sunday against a side who had lost their previous four games. Conditions did not help but the match was still a turgid affair as both defences cancelled each other out.

Wasps, who fielded Jeremy Staunton for the injured Alex King, suffered a further blow on 11 minutes when side-stepping centre Stuart Abbott had to go off with a shin injury.

The score was already 3-3 at that point, Mark van Gisbergen's kick levelling Tommy Hayes' kick.

In a match full of stop-starts, it looked like the kicking game would be all-important and Hayes gave Bristol's fans something to cheer about when he converted a penalty on 21 minutes.

Wasps could not get into Bristol's half to create an attack, while Bristol were also failing to create anything worthwhile.

Simon Shaw, on his return to his former club, did his best to relieve the monotony and he made the only decent break of the half before he was tackled. That led to a penalty, which van Gisbergen converted but he had less success minutes later with a tough attempt from the touchline.

That saw him hand the kicking duties to Staunton and, when Bristol infringed again in first-half injury time, the fly half stepped up and knocked over the penalty to give Wasps a half time lead.

Fans thought that the second half had to get better but it didn't as the rain fell steadily, making conditions less conducive to running rugby.

Hayes also started to miss-fire with kicks from hand and at goal, with one penalty attempt just making it into Wasps' 22, where it was cleared by Matt Dawson.

Wasps rang the changes in the front row to try and improve the set-piece but Ben Gotting's throws promptly made the line-out worse.

And on 57 minutes, Bristol nearly grabbed a shock try when a Wasps move broke down and Lee Robinson advanced down the right, jinking round Tom Voyce before being tackled by Staunton.

Voyce then had to go off when a collision left with him with two fewer teeth as Bristol started to put pressure on the Wasps line.

They got to within five metres of the try-line but Wasps' defence held firm until they conceded a penalty at the scrum, allowing replacement Jason Strange to level the scores.

Wasps looked to get back into the lead and they started to get on top in the final 20 minutes without really stretching Bristol. They were given a glorious chance to lead on 78 minutes when they were awarded a penalty 25 metres out.

But Staunton fluffed the chance, leaving Wasps with just the two points and another draw to show for their efforts.

Wasps: Van Gisbergen, Sackey, Hoadley, Abbott (Erinle 11), Voyce (Waters 59), Staunton, Dawson, Payne, Barrett (Gotting 52), Bracken (Va'a 47), Shaw, Skivington, Leo, Rees (O'Connor 55), Dallaglio. Not used: Lock, Reddan.

Scorers: Pens - Van Gisbergen (two), Staunton.

Attendance: 9,028.

Referee: Ashley Rowden.

Bristol 9, Wasps 9