LONDON Irish continued their blistering start to the Greene Kind IPA Championship with a 29-7 bonus-point victory at Nottingham Rugby.

The Exiles have now won their first five league fixtures this season and proudly sit top of the table with a 100% record.

Nick Kennedy's side are firmly on course to return to the Aviva Premiership at the first time of asking following relegation last season.

They were certainly a class above Nottingham as tries from Scott Steele, Aseli Tikoirotuma, Max Northcote-Green and Fergus Mulchrone sealed maximum points for the visitors on Friday night.

Scrum-half Steele crossed for Irish's opening touchdown in the second minute, sprinting 35 metres before crossing the line before Tommy Bell notched the conversion for a 7-0 lead.

Bell's penalty near the half-hour mark increased the visitors' lead then only some last-ditch Nottingham defending prevented Steele from going over again.

However, Exiles did grab a second try just before the break when Mulchrone and Tom Fowlie linked up to send Fijian winger Tikoirotuma over the whitewash. Bell missed the conversion, but Irish lead 15-0 at the interval.

There was no let up from Kennedy's men after the restart and Northcote-Green notched their third try of the afternoon and his second of the season on 44 minutes after more excellent work from the impressive Steele again. Bell added the extras for a 22-0 lead.

Six minutes later Irish secured their bonus-point try when Mulchrone took Steele's pass before slicing through the Nottingham defence for a touchdown on his first start of the season, Bell embellishing it with the conversion.

Nottingham, to their credit, never gave up and their defence held firm from there on.

The home side even managed a late consolation try from Antonio Harris which Lawrence Raynor converted, but Irish were worthy winners overall.

London Irish return to the Madejski Stadium this Saturday when they take on rivals London Welsh (3pm).

London Irish: Marshall, Ojo, Fowlie (Hearn 64), Mulchrone, Tikoirotuma, Bell, Steele (McKibbin 69), Hobbs-Awoyemi (Court 64), Paice (c) (Harris-Wright 64), Franks (Palframan 58), Robson (Lloyd 57), De Chaves, Coman, Northcote-Green, Treviranus (Cowan 46).