In a topsy-turvy first half, Luke Arscott went over for the visitors before tries from Craig Gillies and Miles Benjamin put the home side ahead.

However, Bryan Rennie went over for the Chiefs on the stroke of half-time to restore their lead.

The boot of Andy Goode looked to have won the game for Richard Hill's men as they took a seven-point lead into the final two minutes.

But Phil Dollman scored before Sireli Naqelevuki went over in the final play of the game as Warriors were forced to take only a losing bonus point from a game that had been in their grasp.

Worcester had started the game in thrilling fashion and thought they had scored after four minutes when Marcel Garvey cut Exeter to ribbons when he popped up in midfield.

Quick hands fed Alex Grove and in turn Chris Pennell who went for the line, but was held up by the full back as he looked to ground the ball.

The resulting five-metre scrum saw Miles Benjamin look to break over but the ball was ripped and the Chiefs ran from deep with Matt Jess bundled into the tram lines by a big hit from Grove.

A penalty for holding on allowed Ignacio Mieres to kick for position and when the lineout was secured and Chiefs drove up field before winning another penalty that Mieres slotted for the lead.

Worcester were looking to put the ball through hands but the tackles were coming in from Chiefs and they secured another penalty, for holding on, that Mieres lined up from just inside his own half but dragged wide left of the posts.

Exeter should have scored on 13 minutes as they looped left at pace but Bryan Rennie was guilty of not releasing the winger away and using numbers as he knocked on in contact with the line beckoning.

Worcester were then masters of our own downfall as a scrum five metres out popped out to the visitors and they rumbled up close through the forwards before Mieres picked out Arscott who out-jumped Pennell to touch down.

From the restart, Warriors rattled into tackles before an offside penalty against Haydn Thomas saw Goode kick deep into visiting territory.

The home pack then drove Exeter over with ease from the driving lineout as they powered over with Gillies touching down on his return to the team. Goode added the difficult conversion to cut the lead to a point.

A penalty for offside against Matt Kvesic gave Mieres an instant chance to extend the lead. But his effort from deep inside his own half was miles off target and a long way short. However, a high tackle by James Percival on Gonzalo Camacho saw him slot a much easier kick for a 10-7 lead.

Goode looked to unlock the Exeter defence with a neat kick into space that he collected but just failed to land the offload as he looked to keep the ball alive. The Chiefs also looked to run from deep but a huge tackle from Matt Kvesic on Tom Johnson saw the ex-England man rocked back.

Worcester regained the lead in the most bizarre fashion as Goode again kicked into space and Grove hacked on. Benjamin had a straight foot race with Arscott and after getting there first looked to have kicked way too far ahead. But, amazingly, the ball ballooned up off the bar as it flew past and fell for the winger to touch down with Goode's extras making it 14-11.

A penalty at the scrum gave Goode another shot at goal from out wide, but this time his kick was way left of the target as the game entered the final six minutes of the half.

Exeter looked to strike before half-time with Goode stealing the ball in the tackle to prevent the first wave of attack. The visitors then enjoyed their own slice of luck as a clear forward pass was missed by the officials and Bryan Rennie streaked away to score for a 16-14 half-time lead.

The visitors started the second half on the front foot even though Gillies stole a lineout but the ball fell kindly to Tom Hayes. The Chiefs looked to rattle up close before a penalty for offside allowed Mieres to nudge his side further ahead.

Worcester looked to hit back with Johnson pinned for going over the top of the ball. Good lined up the penalty, but his kick hit the right hand post and bounced away clear.

Pennell was next to cut Exeter as he stepped and went to break the line and make 30 metres before he just failed to find the supporting runner on his shoulder.

Tempers flared after Grove was up ended in the tackle and Camacho was sent to the sin bin amid howls of anger from the home crowd. Goode lined up the resulting penalty kick and cut the lead back to two points.

Exeter were now down to 13 men when Arscott needlessly picked the ball up the wrong side of the breakdown and left referee Richards with no option but to yellow card him. Worcester won the lineout but spilled it forward and the chance was gone.

Worcester fans had hearts in mouth when Rennie charged down a box kick from Arr. But the centre was offside and play went back for a penalty. Goode lined up from inside his own half and slotted the monster for a 20-19 lead.

Warriors then had jubilation halted in mid-flow as Garvey tore away and over to score after a sublime line break, but play was pulled back for a forward pass in the build-up and celebrations were halted.

Exeter, though, were dealt a blow as a penalty at the scrum gave Goode another shot at goal that he nudged over for a 23-19 lead.

The electric game continued as Camacho thought he was over but this time he was dragged back for a forward pass down the right wing.

A penalty for coming in at the side gave Worcester another penalty and Goode again looked for the posts. He again made a sweet connection for a 26-19 lead with ten minutes of the game left.

A series of scrums saw Worcester turn the screw and finally referee Richards awarded the penalty to a huge ovation. Goode again looked to the posts with four minutes left but his kicked pulled up short to the disappointment of the home support.

Exeter then struck with less than two minutes left as Worcester made a mess of a scrum and the Chiefs pounced. Camacho won the foot race down the wing to a hack ahead and when play was spun wide it was Dollman who blasted over. Gareth Steenson, though, missed the kick as the visitors trailed by two points.

The last play of the game then saw Exeter run from deep and keep the ball alive before they broke through, just moments after loud shots for a knock-on in the build-up, and shattered home hearts as Naqelevuki touched down.

Timeline:

09m Mieres p 0-3

16m Arscott t 0-8

19m Gillies t Goode c 7-8

25m Mieres p 7-11

29m Benjamin t Goode c 14-11

39m Rennie t 14-16

43m Mieres p 14-19

52m Goode p 17-19

61m Goode p 20-19

65m Goode p 23-19

70m Goode p 26-19

79m Dollman t 26-24

80m Naqelevuki t Steenson c 26-31

Warriors: 01 Matt Mullan (Porter 78), 02 Aleki Lutui (Shervington 68), 03 Tevita Taumoepeau, 04 James Percival, 05 Craig Gillies, 06 Neil Best, 07 Matt Kvesic, 08 Blair Cowan (Horstmann 57), 09 Shaun Perry (Arr 8-17, 57), 10 Andy Goode, 11 Miles Benjamin, 12 Dale Rasmussen, 13 Alex Grove, 14 Marcel Garvey, 15 Chris Pennell

Replacements: 16 Ed Shervington, 17 George Porter, 18 Bruce Douglas, 19 Ben Gulliver, 20 Kai Horstmann, 21 Jonny Arr, 22 Danny Gray, 23 Ravai Fatiaki