WARRIORS still have a chance of avoiding the drop from the Aviva Premiership, according to boss Dean Ryan.

Old Sixways favourite Andy Goode sentenced Worcester to a gut-wrenching 13-11 defeat with a conversion from the last kick on Friday.

However, despite that bitter blow, director of rugby Ryan refuses to lie down and admits relegation is not a fait accompli ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Newcastle at Kingston Park (2pm).

He said: “We needed to beat Wasps to change the dynamics of this weekend’s game at Newcastle, but the maths still say ‘yes’, so we will be giving it a real good crack.

“I’m sure half of the North East was watching the Wasps game and they would have breathed a pretty big sigh of relief at the end.

“We will go up there this weekend to make sure we do the right thing and represent this group in the right way.

“We will see – if it is still on mathematically, then we will still be on for it.”

The Worcester boss gave short shrift to comments last week by Falcons director of rugby Dean Richards, who accused Warriors winger David Lemi of being “too old and past it”, among other derogatory comments about the Sixways club.

Ryan added: “I’m not really bothered about what Dean has to say about people here. I am only bothered about what we think about each other.

“I’m not going to turn it into a war of words with Dean or anything like that because, to be honest, it is rubbish.

“I’m only interested about what is going on here and the people I have to work with. I am pretty proud of this group and always have been.

“I know there are lots of things going on and it has been well documented that this is a transitional year for us, but there are people here who I am incredibly proud to have had the opportunity to work with in these circumstances.”