A MUCH-IMPROVED performance from Nottingham saw them grab a first win of the new-look Championship season as they beat London Welsh 23-16 at Meadow Lane.

After the disappointing defeat at home to Cornish Pirates the previous week, there was worry that a stronger London Welsh side would be too much for the Green and Whites.

But there was so much more urgency about Nottingham's game this time around and, significantly, more discipline.

Despite conceding territory for long parts, Nottingham defended stubbornly and when they had the chance to counter, they did so effectively.

Having fallen behind to an early penalty they had stormed back, stealing possession just inside the visitors' 22 where Tim Usasz did well to send hooker Tom Youngs in for a try.

Welsh thought they had regained the lead midway through the first half when Erri Classens broke away down the left but play was brought back for an earlier offence. Welsh second row Ben Thomas was sin-binned for the incident and Greig Tonks gave Nottingham a 10-3 lead from the resulting penalty.

A second kick from Tonks, almost from the restart, opened up a ten-point gap.

But the Green and Whites were grateful for two penalty misses from Aled Thomas, the second of which came back off the post, to keep the gap in tact.

It was London Welsh doing much of the attacking though and they eventually worked a try for Aled Thomas in the corner to make the scoreline 13-8 at the interval.

But a fine start to the second half from Nottingham saw them wipe out that score as the pack drove over from a line out, Nic Rouse getting the final touch down and Tonks adding the conversion.

At this point it was Nottingham turning the screw and keeping play in the visitors' half. They eventually forced a penalty for Tonks to increase the lead to 15 points.

A sweeping counter-attack from the Exiles took them up to the Nottingham line where their hard-pressed defence almost cracked before scrum half Usasz was yellow-carded.

The visitors quickly moved the ball across the field where replacement Paul Sampson squeezed over to reduce Nottingham's lead to ten points.

Inevitably, Nottingham then had to survive some scary moments in the closing stages with Welsh slotting over an injury time penalty to secure a bonus point of their own.

But not only did Nottingham hold on well at the end, they were unfortunate not to extend their lead with a late flourish that so nearly saw Jack Cobden force his way over.

Nottingham: Jackson, Cobden, Tonks, Johnston, Streather, Taylor, Usasz, Parr, Youngs, Du Plessis, Nimmo, Rouse, Hammond, Sherriff, Hemingway. Replacements: Harrison, Nirmalendran, Savage, Eggleshaw, Freer, Buxton, Green.

London Welsh: A. Thomas, Shabbo, Starling, Mackey, Classens, Ross, Runciman, Holford, George, Ward, B. Thomas, Powell, Mills, Bell, Beach. replacements: Gotting, Williams, Corker, Brown, Lewis, Whatling, Sampson.

Nottingham: Tries: Youngs, Rouse. Cons: Tonks 2. Pens: Tonks 3.

Welsh: Tries: A. Thomas, Sampson. Pens: A. Thomas 2.

Attendance: 1,006