Sale recorded their fourth win in five Premiership games with a bonus-point away victory against Bristol.

Two Callum Sheedy penalties were all Bristol could muster after the break as Sam James, Rob du Preez and Joe Carpenter secured five points for Sale.

Bristol are now winless in three, while the Sharks go second in the table.

The return of England prop Kyle Sinckler was one of six changes to Bristol's starting XV although full-back Max Malins was ruled out before kick-off because of illness, denying him what was due to be his debut since returning to the club this season.

Sheedy missed a long-range penalty for the hosts inside two minutes but when Ben Curry was sent to the bin for taking out Rich Lane while in the air, they eventually made Sale pay after a sloppy few minutes of knock-ons and miss-passes in attack.

Deft hands saw the ball quickly moved out wide to Lane who stepped over a tackle and offloaded to Virimi Vakatawa, with the centre passing inside to Caulfield to run over for his first Premiership try for the side.

Sale retaliated instantly as Tom Roebuck capitalised on a narrow Bears defensive line with a long ball over the top to pick out winger Reed to score in the corner, and Ford replicated his England form by kicking a drop-goal to nudge the Sharks ahead at the break.

Bristol temporarily regained the lead through a Sheedy penalty before a lovely delayed pass from Ford opened a gap between two defenders for James to go under the posts.

It was then that Sale gradually stretched ahead and Du Preez intercepted a pass while Bristol were in attack, streaking 60 metres to score.

Another Sheedy penalty got Bristol back within one score but Sale secured the bonus point after another lovely bit of play, orchestrated by Ford, saw Cobus Wiese cut inside to set up Carpenter to run over.

Bristol had the possession to get back on level ground, but their afternoon was summed up when Magnus Bradbury dropped the ball over the line to miss out on what would have been a certain try to secure a losing bonus point.

Bears director of rugby Pat Lam told BBC Radio Bristol:

"Firstly, well done to Sale. We know what they're going to bring and unfortunately we just made too many turnovers at key moments. First five minutes, all of our possession we just handed it back; kick-off, turnover, turnover, turnover.

"We took 7-0 and we had other opportunities but we just panicked on the ball and just needed to relax and build pressure.

"We always know when you play Sale you don't want to be behind two scores down, with 20-30 mionutes to go and unfortunately we got ourselves in that situation and you try and play catch-up football and it's not easy.

"Disappointed, everybody is, but we know that we're not far off. It's fine margins, little things but at this level of rugby little mistakes can have big consequences."

Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson:

"George [Ford] looked silky in attack, really silky. That is the part of our game we have been looking to grow and the part of his game he wants to prove he is one of the best at and not just landing drop goals from 50 metres. He can do it all, can't he?

"It was his call to get back in and play so quickly after the World Cup and he actually looks better than last season. He has come back with a bit more zip in his step, really attacking the line well.

"But I was most impressed by the physical battle out there and the fact that we won most of the collisions is pleasing and makes everything easier.

"They were knocking on the door in the last quarter and it was pleasing the way our bench stuck in there. We probably worked harder than we have ever worked."

Bristol: Lane; Heward, Vakatawa, Janse van Rensburg, Ibitoye; Sheedy, Randall; Woolmore, Oghre, Sinckler, Caulfield, Batley, Bradbury, Harding, Thacker.

Replacements: Capon, Grahamslaw, Kloska, Dun, Thomas, Marmion, Williams, O'Conor.

Sale: S James; Roebuck, R Du Preez, Bedlow, Reed; Ford, Warr; Rodd, Creevy, Schonert, Wiese, Beaumont, Van Rhyn, D Du Preez, B Curry.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, McIntyre, Harper, Bamber, Birch, Thomas, Carpenter, Dugdale.

Sin-bin: Ben Curry (5 mins)

Referee: Karl Dickson