WORCESTER'S season-long fight to avoid relegation from the Guinness Premiership will go to the final weekend after they left the Madejski Stadium empty-handed.
A converted try by Exiles skipper Bob Casey seven minutes from time denied the visitors what could prove a crucial losing bonus point and means their fate will be decided in the last round of matches when they host Saracens.
It was a much-changed Warriors line-up from the one which went down 22-17 to Bristol eight days earlier.
There were seven changes in all, one of which was enforced by the suspension of Craig Gillies. The lock was sent-off for stamping in the Bristol game and subsequently banned for two weeks.
The absence of the 6ft 8ins Gillies meant a first Premiership start for youngster Will Bowley, who took his place alongside Richard Blaze in the second row.
Northampton's losing bonus point in their match at Wasps earlier in the day meant Worcester could secure Premiership safety with a win and four tries in Reading.
But it was a feat they hadn't managed in any Premiership game this season and never threatened to yesterday.
The hosts started brightest with their dangerous runners Topsy Ojo and Sailosi Tagicakibau causing havoc coming from deep.
Thinus Delport managed to stop Tagicakibau as he bombed down the right but no-one could get near the Samoan when he found space wide on the left and ran in the first try of the match.
Riki Flutey missed the conversion and Worcester responded by launching an attack of their own.
They spread the ball wide right to Lee Best but, when his progress was checked, the ball was fed back to Tony Windo, who drove through the middle and was repelled only by ferocious tackling a couple metres from the posts.
But Warriors hung onto the ball and Matt Powell picked it up from the base of the ruck and charged over himself, just managing to get the ball down before it slipped from his grasp.
Shane Drahm made no mistakes with the tricky conversion.
With Gillies absent and regular hooker Chris Fortey on the bench, the visitors struggled at the set-piece and their line-out was becoming a cause for concern.
It was from a five-metre throw that Irish scored their second try as hooker Robbie Russell barged over despite the best efforts of Blaze to claw him back. Nils Mordt converted.
When Warriors won a penalty just before half-time, they opted to go for the posts instead of the corner and Drahm's kick reduced the gap to two points going into the interval.
A Drahm penalty four minutes after the re-start nudged Worcester in front and they looked like adding a try when Gary Trueman made an incisive break but Dale Rasmussen found himself running down a blind ally and was penalised for holding on.
They were made to pay the price when Exiles attacked down the left.
Flutey slipped the clutches of Aleki Lutui and played in Tagicakibau for his second score of the match.
Mordt converted to increase the lead to give the hosts a six-point advantage.
Warriors began to make good progress with a series of pick-and-drives but Drew Hickey spilled the ball at the crucial moment.
Shortly after, Irish were penalised for joining the maul from the wrong side and Drahm swept the penalty over.
But the game once again swung back the way of the home side and although Kai Horstmann did enough to stop Seilala Mapusua scoring, it wasn't long before Casey ploughed his way over to score and leave Warriors facing a nervy last weekend.
Warriors: Drahm; Best (Tucker), Rasmussen, Trueman, Delport; Brown, M Powell, Windo (Morris), Lutui (C Fortey), Horsman (Taumoepeau), Bowley, Blaze (Murphy), Hickey (Quinnell), Sanderson, Horstmann.
Scorers: Try: Powell; Conversion: Drahm; Penalties: Drahm (three).
Attendance: 10,862.
Referee: Sean Davey.
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