Warriors were always chasing the game after Jonny May picked up a loose early pass to scamper away for a try and a series of penalties - that saw Marcel Garvey yellow carded at his old club - saw the home side take command by half-time.

A late Tom Voyce try ensured the win for Gloucester while Dale Rasmussen crossed in the final seconds for a consolation score for the visitors who must now turn their attention to another difficult away trip next weekend to reigning champions Saracens.

A penalty at the scrum gave Gloucester the first attacking platform of the afternoon as locks Tom Savage and Will James barged into contact. The attack was spun left and right with pace until Lesley Vainikolo was hit hard in midfield by opposite number Dale Rasmussen and the ball was dislodged.

Carlisle won territory with a huge booming clearance but seconds later could only look on as his floated pass found the turf and was scooped up by May who broke down the middle of the field to score.

Worcester looked to regroup as Errie Claassens hit the line at pace and Alex Grove cut inside Vainikolo before the former England international unloaded on Kai Horstmann and the ball spun out as he fell to the ground.

Benjamin collected a big up an under from Taylor and made yards into space before a handling error down the right wing saw the ball again fail to go to hand. Worcester, though, won the ball back with a penalty at the scrum, for delay of game against former Warrior and home scrum half Nick Runciman.

A rolling maul from the Warriors made ground and Shaun Perry almost sliced through a gap before Horstmann was pinned for holding on in the shadow of the posts as he found himself isolated from other forwards.

A wayward lineout saw Worcester win a put in at the scrum and moments later the penalty was handed was awarded by referee Luke Pearce as the home front row went to ground. The resulting kick from Carlisle, however, drifted left of the uprights.

A long clearing kick from Carlisle then took a nasty kick to run dead to give Gloucester ball midway inside the visiting half. Moments later the penalty came at scrum time and Taylor made no mistake as he drilled over.

Charlie Sharples looked to use his pace down the right but was put into touch by Benjamin. Fortey responded by barreling down the middle while Claassens and Tevita Taumoepeau combined with a neat exchange of passes before Rasmussen lost out in contact.

Gloucester were beginning to turn the screw with a succession of penalties taking them further into Worcester territory with Taylor kicking two more shots at goal to open up a 16-0 lead.

An ugly tussle of the floor that saw punches thrown after a Worcester penalty from the restart, saw Warriors opt to kick for the corner. A strong catch and drive was then rewarded as a penalty against Gloucester for dragging it down allowed Carlisle to open the visiting account.

Seconds before the break the home side looked like they were over for a second try as the hosts worked an overlap for Vainikolo. Garvey raced back to stop the big midfielder, but was then yellow carded for not releasing and Taylor rubbed salt in the wound with a kick from the touchline on the stroke of half-time.

Worcester came out for the second period keen to make amends and early pressure saw the pack roll up close before Jake Abbott peeled off and just failed to find the whitewash as he was bundled into touch.

Olly Morgan escaped with a poor clearing kick that spun kindly as Worcester looked to mount some pressure despite being a man down.

A stolen lineout saw Horstmann and Abbott break out from deep until the move broke down as Perry failed to find hands with a flick behind the back.

Mullan was left on the floor after he tackled May as he looked to break away from inside his own 22 after Garvey ripped the ball and hacked clear. The prop finally rose to his feet to warm applause after fans had been left fearing the worst for several minutes.

Hill made changes as he looked to spark his Warriors into life in the second period and Andy Goode had an early chance to eat into the lead only for his kick to drag left of the posts. Fellow replacement Freddie Burns made no mistake with a simple chance he was presented with minutes later.

Worcester refused to lie down and some neat work saw Grove and Arr both threaten to break away before Douglas and Percival combined down the middle to grind out yards. The ball was spun left and Neil Best flick passed first time to Shervington but he was crowded out in the corner.

Abbott was nearly away after he was picked out by a floated pass from Goode, but as the game entered the final ten minutes there was still no way through for Warriors.

A turnover again saw Worcester break from deep and the ball was spun through hands of Abbott, Arr and Goode until it broke down as Benjamin and Grove looked to burst down the right wing.

The home pack looked to complete the victory as they nearly drove over from a lineout and when they sucked men in it was left to late call-up Tom Voyce to use the overlap on the wing to crash over in the corner.

Worcester had the final word in the encounter as a period of pressure and neat handling silsl saw the ball worked to Rasmussen who tapped down in the corner for a late consolation.

Timeline:

08m May t Taylor c 7-0

21m Taylor p 10-0

27m Taylor p 13-0

33m Taylor p 16-0

37m Carlisle p 16-3

40m Taylor p 19-3

62m Burns p 22-3

76m Voyce t Burns c 29-3

79m Rasmussen t 29-8

Worcester Warriors: 01 Matt Mullan (Porter 73), 02 Chris Fortey (Shervington 54), 03 Tevita Taumoepeau (Douglas 54), 04 James Percival, 05 Craig Gillies (Jones 54), 06 Neil Best (Kvesic 65), 07 Jake Abbott, 08 Kai Horstmann, 09 Shaun Perry (Arr 60), 10 Joe Carlisle (Goode 54), 11 Miles Benjamin, 12 Dale Rasmussen, 13 Alex Grove, 14 Marcel Garvey, 15 Errie Claassens

Replacements: 16 George Porter, 17 Ed Shervington, 18 Bruce Douglas, 19 Chris Jones, 20 Matt Kvesic, 21 Jonny Arr, 22 Andy Goode, 23 Tom Arscott