WORCESTER Warriors were left needing a miracle to progress to the semi-finals of the EDF Energy Cup after their inexperienced side crashed to defeat at Ospreys.

The Sixways side looked at one stage as if they could take something back up the M50 from the Liberty Stadium but a late try from Tommy Bowe and the boot of James Hook put the game beyond Warriors’ reach.

The afternoon got worse for Mike Ruddock as he saw Australian Chris Latham pull up late in the second-half with cramp in his calf.

The plans for his return to Swansea were also hit by the late withdrawal of former All Black wing Rico Gear due to a hip abductor muscle strain, leaving the Warriors back-line lacking experience as Charlie Fellows stepped up into the starting XV.

With only an hour before kick-off, replacement fly-half Loki Crichton pulled out with the same problem as Ruddock brought academy product Tom Wheatcroft on to the bench.

Warriors head coach Clive Griffiths said in the pre-match press conference that this would be a day that people would see the benefits of the Sixways academy and, with 10 in the squad and six starting at the Liberty Stadium, it was always going to be a tough task against the reigning champions.

It was a scrappy opening half with both sides struggling to do the basics.

Despite naming a strong pack, Worcester were poor at the scrum, while the Ospreys’ talented back-line took time to get going.

The Ospreys nearly took advantage of some poor refereeing from the kick-off when a knock-on from Lyndon Bateman went un-noticed as the Welsh region piled forward and got within five metres before Warriors cleared the danger.

Worcester came close to punishing a dreadful inside-pass from Hook in the 10th minute, allowing Matthew Jones to kick the loose ball forward but Alex Grove was unable to pounce on the ball and get the try.

Jones and Hook then traded a penalty apiece before the Worcester fly-half was sin-binned for deliberately slowing the ball.

Ospreys’ wing wizard Shane Williams nearly grabbed the opening try in the 27th minute after Steve Tandy broke but Fellows got back well to smother the ball.

Hook then kicked Ospreys into the lead three minutes later before the hosts scored the game’s opening try, their first in nearly 200 minutes of rugby.

The Liberty Stadium side spread the ball along the backs before finding Nikki Walker and the Scotland wing went over in the corner. Hook missed the conversion.

Jones returned to the field after that score and the former Osprey kicked a penalty to bring Worcester within five points at 11-6.

With half-time nearing, Williams went on one of his trademark mazy runs but a superb tackle from Grove halted the Welsh wing before scrum-halves Rhys Webb and Ryan Powell traded punches and only received a talking-to from the referee.

Worcester pushed the self-destruct button on the stroke of half-time when Latham thought the referee was going to call an end to the first 40 minutes when he kicked the ball out of play.

But there was still time for a line-out for the Ospreys, allowing them to send Gavin Henson waltzing through unopposed to put them 16-6 up at the break.

Jones struck a penalty for the visitors early in the second-half before Williams finally grabbed a try after being put in at the corner by Bowe. Hook added the extras.

The Warriors’ fly-half then reduced the deficit by three points with another penalty before Sam Tuitupou gave the visitors hope.

Following the sin-binning of Ospreys’ flanker Tom Smith, Worcester put the hosts scrum under pressure and the inside-centre burst through the defence, dragging New Zealander Jamie Nutbrown over the line with him. Jones added the conversion to bring Warriors to within four points.

But then the boot of Hook started to put daylight between the two sides before the Wales fly-half looked certain to go over for Ospreys’ fourth try only for a stunning tackle from prop Matt Mullan to drag him into touch with the line at his mercy.

Bowe did grab the fourth try six minutes into stoppage-time to give the Welsh region their bonus-point victory.