LACK-LUSTRE Worcester Warriors failed to break down high-flying Saracens in a drab encounter at Vicarage Road.

The mid-season break seemed to have taken its toll on director of rugby Mike Ruddock's men as they were second best for most of the game and were guilty of giving away too many turn-overs.

Worcester's six points all came from the boot of Loki Crichton, while the scoreline could have been a lot worse for the Sixways side had home fly-half Glen Jackson not contrived to miss four regulation penalties.

Worcester got off to a dream start, taking a second-minute lead through Crichton's drop-goal. The Samoan fly-half's deep kick-off put the hosts under pressure in their 22 and, having won the line-out, Worcester probed the home defence with several drives before the ball was recycyled to Crichton, who split the posts with his kick.

Saracens nearly hit back with a try, but Adam Powell's off-load to Hugh Vyvyan went forward and the Warriors had a lucky escape. The visitors won the scrum and Matt Powell cleared with a decent box-kick into touch.

The Vicarage Road men should have levelled the scores after Worcester were hit for coming in at the side, but Jackson's effort was wayward. However, the fly-half made amends soon after with a successful penalty from the Saracens' 10-metre line Sarries looked certain to score after a succession of scrums near the Worcester line, but the visitors' defence held firm and, when the hosts span the ball wide, a flying tackle from Sam Tuitupou forced a turn-over for holding on to the ball.

Jackson scuffed another penalty attempt wide of the target after Worcester had been penalised for off-side as the scores remained locked at 3-3.

Worcester then wasted possession in a good position when Rico Gear knocked-on while trying to field Powell's sharp inside pass.

The ball squirted out of the side of a ruck in Worcester's 22 and Gear gathered and burst upfield, taking play to the home 22.

Saracens managed to bundle the ball into touch, but referee Andrew Small brought play back. Saracens centre Rod Penney had deliberately taken out Powell to slow play down and the man in the middle sent him to the bin for 10 minutes.

However, Worcester couldn't capitalise as Crichton skewed his penalty off target.

Saracens applied more pressure to the Worcester line and, after the visitors collapsed a scrum, the home side were given a penalty. Jackson managed to find the target and Saracens were in the lead for the first time in the match on 35 minutes.

More Saracens' possession was undermined when scrum-half Alan Dickens' pass was too far in front of Jackson, who could only manage to knock the ball on.

Crichton looked to get Worcester going with a chip-and-chase after fielding a punt downfield, but he failed to get enough purchase on the ball and knocked it forward when trying to re-gather possession.

Warriors battled well to seal some go-forward ball, but Powell's quick kick went into touch on the full. Soon afterwards, the scrum-half was guilty of not releasing the ball, but Jackson once more failed to punish the away side.

Worcester went down to 14 men in the 47th minute after Pat Sanderson was adjudged to have gone over the top at a ruck near the visitors' line, however, it did appear that the ball had gone lose before the Warriors skipper intervened.

From the restart, though, Saracens were hit for hands in the ruck and Crichton slotted the simple penalty to make it 9-6.

Sarries came roaring back at the Warriors, though, and scored the first try of the match after a spell of pressure right on the Worces-ter line. With visiting defenders drawn into the ruck, hooker Fabio Ongaro had acres of space to touch down when the ball was spun out. Jackson made no mistake with the conversion and the hosts never looked back.

Tuitupou broke out of defence with a power-packed run, but undid all the good work by not releasing the ball in contact. Jackson lined up the penalty and made no mistake.

With 12 minutes remaining, Jackson should have put Saracens further in front with another penalty after Worcester hands in a ruck, but pulled his effort wide.

Replacement fly-half James Brown then failed to find touch with his free-kick but, as Sarries wing Richard Haughton looked to kick in behind the Warriors, his effort went out on the full to relieve the pressure.

Worcester staged a late rally in an attempt to steal a losing bonus point with some good running from Chris Pennell, Gear and Miles Benjamin, but the latter was bundled into touch. However, Will Bowley stole the line-out and set up the final push. Warriors won a penalty after the buzzer had sounded and looked to run the ball, but again could not quite find the cutting edge to break through the home defence.