Worcester 25 Exeter 6

IT says much about the expectation levels around Sixways that after a 25-6 victory over Exeter Chiefs, Worcester supporters went home disappointed on Saturday.

Gold'n'Blues fans believed this was a home-banker and a bonus-point win was the very least expected with second-placed Leeds Tykes expected to hammer Waterloo to keep the pressure on Worcester in the race for the National One title.

In the event, Worcester failed to register that fourth try and the bonus point while Leeds duly saw off the challenge of the Merseysiders 45-0 to cut the gap at the top to five points with a game in hand.

However, Adrian Skeggs' side still comfortably beat Exeter and crucially still lead the table from their Yorkshire rivals despite the disappointment ringing around Sixways at the final whistle.

True, it wasn't classic stuff and critics of Worcester will point to the fact that Leeds put 63 points past the second-from-bottom side recently. However, Exeter put out a much weaker side at Headingley and on Saturday they saw their team boosted by the return to action of influential skipper Rob Baxter.

In a game which was stop and start thanks to the textbook refereeing of Chris Rees, Worcester failed to raise the tempo and played straight into Exeter's game-plan of further suffocating play. Spencer Bromley was denied a try early on by a fine Mark Woodman tackle and as the game went on, the pressure to score seemed to get to the Sixways stars with some nervous play.

Sateki Tuipulotu calmed the nerves with a penalty on 12 minutes but it was not until the 24th that they added to the score. Nick Broughton danced his way through the Chiefs' defence to touch down and after a Tuipulotu conversion, the crowd awaited the onslaught. It didn't come.

And as the referee began to come more into the game, he started to enjoy the limelight too much for the home supporters' liking as he sin-binned three players before the break. Off went Ian Brown, Worcester's Richard Denhardt and then Keith Brooking as Rees began to get yellow fever. John Hill slotted a penalty in between the bookings to make it 10-3 at the interval.

After half-time it looked as though Worcester would power past their part-time opponents but the hammering never transpired. Tuipulotu added another three points early on and a penalty try was then awarded to raise hopes of a bonus point. Tuipulotu converted but the home side could not build on the platform handed to them. After a second Exeter penalty, Tuipulotu grabbed a last-minute try but in truth, Worcester never looked remotely like taking the bonus point on a frustrating afternoon for the club and the supporters.

Team: Calder, Tuipulotu, Murdoch, Keil, Bromley (Langkilde 59), Va'a, Jarman, Windo (Benbouhout 55), Lamerton (Hall 74), Hartland, Denhardt, Zaltzman, Evans, Broughton (Mather 55), Fryday.