AJ MaGinty missed with an 81st minute 40m penalty kick to fall short with the perfect comeback against defending champions Leicester Tigers on Saturday night.
In the end Bristol Bears had to make do with a 26-26 draw but the result at Ashton Gate halted a run of six successive Gallagher Premiership defeats and the three match points pulled them off the foot of the table where they started after London Irish beat Newcastle 39-17 earlier in the day.
Champions Leicester looked well on their way to victory, but replacement prop Francois van Wyk was sent off 16 minutes from time for a high tackle on Ellis Genge and Bristol punished the 14-man Tigers by scoring two converted tries as hooker Bryan Byrne and wing Gabriel Ibitoye struck.