WITH only one minute of normal time remaining, Saints were leading this closely fought encounter 15-7 at Finstall Park, and were confident of obtaining their first double of the season in the TotalRL.com Rugby League Conference.

When Craig Tildersley scored in the right hand corner it appeared to be little more than consolation for the hardworking Wizards side.

The try was unconverted, and when Andy Jenkinson scored for the Bromsgrove-based Saints straight from the restart, the points were heading towards Worcester.

But the referee ruled the pass from Martin Roadknight was forward and from the resulting scrum the Wizards gambled and kicked ahead.

The wicked bounce beat Richard Whitehouse and Gary Morgan ran 50 metres to score under the post. It only remained for Lee Mannifield to place an easy conversion for Wolverhampton to take their first win of the season.

Wayne Illidge had given the visitors a three-minute lead, scoring an unconverted try. Worcester replied with Richard Jenkinson scoring, Whitehouse added the extra points and Roadknight further increased the lead with a drop goal for the Saints.

Morgan replied with drop goal for the away team and then a penalty converted by Mannifield brought the scores level with seven minutes of the half remaining. Kenny Hadley scored just on half time to give the Saints an 11-7 interval lead.

A try in the opening minutes of the second half from Paul Barnett appeared to give the game to Worcester.

Wolverhampton were further hampered when Phil Coulby was stretchered off the field with a rib injury, but the visitors never gave up and Worcester were forced to defend for long periods of the half.

A Whitehouse try was disallowed and Martin Wiltshire and Brett Toole almost created the opening that would have sealed the game for Worcester.

In a game which boiled over at times, Jenkinson and Mannifield were sin-binned for fighting and to compound Worcester's misery, Barnett was sent off in the final minute for aggressive play.