Kendal 27, Worcester 44

KENDAL proved to be a troublesome gnat which Worcester just couldn't swat on Saturday.

Each time the Gold 'n' Blues opened up a comfortable lead they came buzzing back to annoy their more illustrious visitors.

Importantly, Worcester kept them at arms length and avoid a fatal blow to their cup dream coming out 44-27 winners.

It all started so promisingly for Worcester who scored three good tries to give them a comfortable 15-point cushion.

Centre Andy Higgins broke down the right to allow Mat Walker to score with just four minutes gone and, from Chris Raymond's clean take at a line out, Worcester bulldozed their way over and Richard Denhardt emerged with the score.

Try number three was the sweetest, with Sateki Tuipulotu and Nick Baxter combining well down the blind side for the Tongan to mark his debut with a try.

But they let their troublesome hosts back into the game with a combination of poor discipline and basic errors.

Worcester conceded ground and penalties for holding on in the tackle and found themselves persistently off-side.

Kendal made the most of their chances with stand-off Casey Mee mixing his game and centre Ian Voortman being rewarded for powerful and direct running with two tries.

Kendal's blind side flanker Keith Robinson opened their account after good foraging in the forwards only for Worcester to respond with their weekly routine of the push over scrum.

Twice Jim Jenner touched down after powerful scrummaging from the pack but Voortman's first on the stroke of half-time gave Kendal hope.

Within a minute of the restart Neil Lyman touched down after some good continuity between forwards and backs and Yapp slotted his second conversion from six attempts.

But again Kendal came buzzing back and enjoyed the bulk of possession for the remainder of the game.

Full-back Dan Stephens went over and Voortman's second from Mee's quick penalty left Kendal just 12 points behind.

Ben Harvey settled the nerves with a penalty before James Cockle made the game safe with Worcester's seventh try.

But fittingly Kendal had the last word when replacement scrum-half Colin Wolstenholme sneaked over.

Worcester: Tuipulotu, Walker (Myler 59), Hughes (Connolly 70), Higgins, Baxter, Yapp (Harvey 56), Fenley, Windo (Linnett 70), Caputo (Richards 40), Lyman, Denhardt (Sims 70), Raymond, Cockle, Carter, Jenner (Devereux 40).