WARRIORS director of rugby John Brain refused to be downcast about his side's hopes of avoiding relegation from the Guinness Premiership despite a painful 22-17 defeat to Bristol at the Memorial Ground.

Brain admits the outcome was a fair reflection on the game but remains confident of his side securing whatever results are needed from their final two games of the season.

"Obviously we are disappointed to lose," he said. "I don't think we deserved to win the game. We did well at times but I think they controlled position and possession better than us.

"But there are a lot of positives in it. We are not that far away. I thought, when we kept the ball moving, we actually had our best chance of success. When we played football, we caused them problems and moved them around.

"That is how we scored both our tries although the second try was a very good individual effort. We just failed to do that in the second-half.

"We had a good position at the start of the second-half, got field position and failed to win a scrum on our own ball and then we spent a period defending and took points."

Brain admits he will be assessing one of the key incidents in the game - the sending-off of lock Craig Gillies for stamping at the end of the match - before making a judgement.

"I've spoken to Craig about that," he said. "The intervention of the touch judge wasn't a surprise but I have got to look at the incident and decide whether the decision the officials made was a correct one.

"The disciplinary procedure will take it's course and we have the wherewithal to invoke our own disciplinary procedure.

"We had a good position. We had mauled it forward and we had an advantage so it's extremely unfortunate and frustrating to give up that position because I had got the feeling we could snatch the game."

Gillies now faces the possibility of a ban which may mean he doesn't figure again this season. Brain is prepared for that eventuality but does not feel it will derail his club's bid for Premiership survival.With Northampton losing to Newcastle Brain said: "We can go to London Irish on Saturday and we know we will be in the mix," he said.

"We know we will have a competitive chance of winning that game, with or without Craig Gillies, and that's all you can ask."

Prop Chris Horsman left the field at half-time with an ankle injury and his fitness will be assessed during the week.