The accurate boot of Andy Goode - who went past 1,500 top-flight points - saw Worcester take a 15-3 lead into the final 20 minutes before a blistering fight-back from the Londoners.

Winger Sam Smith scored a stunning solo effort before the visitors took control in the final quarter and after a period of sustained pressure on the home line, with Jake Abbott yellow carded, referee Chris White gave the penalty score as Quins claimed the victory.

The result was painful one to take for Richard Hill's men who battled bravely throughout the entire game and can take great heart from a strong and passionate defensive show as they refused to take a step back on home soil and thoroughly deserved the losing bonus point.

An early penalty for not releasing the tackled man saw Goode kick into the corner. The ball was secured and taken on by miles Benjamin and Kai Horstmann before it was stripped and Quins counter-attacked from deep.

Worcester had started the game with real purpose and another penalty awarded by referee Chris White saw Goode step up and, with the little help of the right upright, give Worcester a 3-0 lead after five minutes.

The home fly half blotted his copybook from the restart as his forward pass gave Quins attacking ball. The home defence held firm though and a big hit from Marcel Garvey saw the ball turned over to huge home ovation.

Errie Claassens showed his handling skills to release Benjamin and Best in quick succession down the left wing while a Quins attack from deep down the opposite flank saw a combination of Dale Rasmussen and Garvey knock ball loose.

The visitors were clearly playing with confidence as Brown forced Claassens into a hurried clearance as Ugo Monye powered down the wing before Brown himself looked to chip ahead but saw his kick bounce into touch.

Goode's failure to find touch, after Quins were penalised for an early hit at the scrum, saw the visitors return the ball with interest and win a penalty at the breakdown that Nick Evans boomed into home territory.

Evans saw a drop goal charged down by Best, but referee White had already indicated a penalty against Warriors for dragging down the rolling maul and Evans this time popped over his kick to draw the teams level.

Claassens showed a lovely step to cut in off the wing as he came up into the line before Percival thumped into contact to win the penalty saw Quins flew over the top at the breakdown. Goode stepped up and made no mistake as Worcester regained the lead.

A big home scrum saw Quins forced backwards 10 metres and the penalty won as the visiting front row were forced up. Goode lined up a huge kick from 55-metres out and landed the monster to give Worcester a 9-3 lead.

The home was alive as Tevita Taumoepeau put Monye into touch as he teamed up with Rasmussen to shunt the former England man out. Monye was immediately replaced clutching his ankle.

The home lineout saw coming under pressure and twice throws were stolen allowing centre pair Jordan Turner-Hall and George Lowe to link up in midfield until the latter knocked on as he came under pressure for a retreating Grove.

Fortey hit his jumper after Sam Smith kicked down the line to put the home hooker under the hammer and Benjamin almost broke free of the shackles before he was pushed out. However, while the lineout was not always functioning the home scrum was in no mood to take a step back as they won another penalty.

Horstmann showed good strength to flick a pass out to Benjamin as Worcester under pressure before Grove brilliantly kept a kick to touch in play and the England Saxon winger showed his kicking game as he banged clear.

A high tackle decision against Benjamin on Smith incensed the home crowd before the half-time whistle as Warriors took a 9-3 lead into the break.

An early thumping clearing kick from Goode at the start of the second half set the tone and more pressure at scrum time saw a penalty awarded and the home fly half nudge over another three points.

Taumoepeau was left on the turf from the restart, but slowly pulled himself to his feet to a huge cheer while Perry showed his skills with a neat kick in behind to put Quins on the back foot inside their own 22.

Sixways was on its feet as a charge down on a clearing kick from scrum half Karl Dickson saw Mullan pick up the loose ball. The prop burrowed for the line before Abbott picked and went just yards short and drove down only to be held up by a frantically retreating defence.

Worcester applied the pressure from the five-metre scrum and after working the play infield it was Goode who stepped into the pocket and, despite a hand from Dickson, slotted the drop goal to open up a 15-3 lead.

Bruce Douglas replaced the hard-working Taumoepeau while academy products Andy Short and Matt Kvesic, on for the limping Horstmann, also entered the fray as the tense game closed in on the final quarter.

On the hour the visitors produced the moment of magic they needed as Evans flicked inside to Sam Smith who hit the line at pace and raced around Claassens to score behind the posts to cut the lead back to 15-10.

The visitors suddenly had the upper-hand and began to win the territorial battle as Evans kicked long into touch to set up another visitors attack.

Hard running centre George Lowe went close before, despite cries of obstruction from the sidelines, Quins won a scrum just five-metres away from the whitewash.

Quins were now relentlessly laying siege to the home line and picked and went repeatedly as they inched ever closer to the line before the ball was held short and referee White awarded the visitors another five-metre scrum.

A series of penalties saw Quins repeatedly go for reset scrums and just when Worcester thought they had repelled the danger back came the fired up Londoners who were again held up just short.

A yellow card for Abbott left Quins with a numerical advantage at scrum time and they made it count immediately as the pushed forward and referee White awarded the penalty try that Evans converted to give the visitors the lead for the first time in the game.

Back came Warriors and a penalty at the restart for a barge on Gillies saw Worcester run the ball and make yards before Short was penalised for holding on and Quins gleefully cleared the ball away.

Quins looked like they were in for a third try when Seb Stegmann broke the line and looked to step final man Claassens only to be tap tackled short and held up on the line.

Timeline:

05m Goode p 3-0

18m Evans p 3-3

21m Goode p 6-3

26m Goode p 9-3

44m Goode p 12-3

54m Goode dg 15-3

60m Smith t Evans c 15-10

73m Penalty t Evans c 15-17

Worcester Warriors: 01 Matt Mullan (Ceri Jones 66), 02 Chris Fortey (Shervington 49), 03 Tevita Taumoepeau (Douglas 55), 04 James Percival, 05 Chris Jones (Gillies 66), 06 Neil Best, 07 Jake Abbott, 08 Kai Horstmann (Kvesic 57), 09 Shaun Perry (Frost 73), 10 Andy Goode, 11 Miles Benjamin, 12 Dale Rasmussen, 13 Alex Grove, 14 Marcel Garvey (Short 60), 15 Errie Claassens

Replacements: 16 Ceri Jones, 17 Ed Shervington, 18 Bruce Douglas, 19 Craig Gillies, 20 Matt Kvesic, 21 Ollie Frost, 22 Joe Carlisle, 23 Andy Short