WORCESTER'S Premiership survival hopes were dealt a crushing blow as they slumped to their second Sixways defeat in less than a week.

A capacity crowd watched the hosts deliver an error-strewn performance, from which they gleaned only a losing bonus point.

Gavin Quinnell marked his comeback from knee injury by emerging from the bench to score a late try but it was too little, too late as Warriors crashed to their 10th league defeat in 11 matches.

Warriors wing Marcel Garvey was making his first start in a Guinness Premiership game since September.

Elsewhere, the most significant change saw James Brown recalled at fly-half in preference to Shane Drahm for Worcester who lost to London Irish five days previously.

Quins recalled stand-off Andrew Mehrtens for his first Premiership start since September 9.

Mehrtens formed a half-back combination with Andy Gomarsall, who was making his first return to Sixways since his acrimonious departure in the summer.

The hosts couldn't have made a worse start as they conceded a penalty in the first minute of the match.

Straight from kick-off, Garvey and full-back Thinus Delport allowed the ball to bounce and Warriors went over the top at the ruck.

Mehrtens kicked the visitors ahead but Worcester regained the initiative after Brown struck a pair of penalties.

The outside-half almost set up a try with a grubber kick for Thomas Lombard to run onto but the ball had passed the dead-ball line by the time the Frenchman reached it.

The game's first try came after 14 minutes when a handling error let in Quins full-back Mike Brown, who punted through the middle and chased the ball down himself.

They added a second shortly after when centre Stuart Abbott spun the ball to David Strettle.

It looked like Lombard had done enough to stop him crossing but referee Chris White thought otherwise.

Mehrtens converted both to give his side an 11-point advantage but Brown added a pair of penalties before the break to make the score 17-12.

Worcester started the second period in promising fashion and were given a helping hand by Quins lock Ollie Kohn, who joined the maul from the wrong side after Craig Gillies received the ball at the line-out.

From the resulting penalty, Brown's kick crept over to bring his side to within two points.

But, just as Brain's side looked to ram home their one-man advantage, another loose pass allowed Quins winger Simon Keogh to scamper down the left wing for a try which Mehrtens converted.

Quinnell's try came from a line-out catch-and-drive and gave Worcester hope of a late revival. But Brown's conversion attempt went wide.

Mehrtens had the chance to complete a miserable night for the hosts but his late penalty, which would have cost Warriors a bonus point, was off-target.

Warriors: Delport (Drahm), Havili, Rasmussen, Lombard, Garvey; Brown, M Powell; Taumoepeau (Morris), Lutui, Horsman, Gillies, Collier, Sanderson, Harding (Quinnell), Horstmann.

Scorers: Try: Quinnell. Penalties: Brown (five).

Referee: Chris White.

Attendance: 10,197.

Other scores: Bristol 16 Bath 6; Saracens 38 Northampton 15.