CALLUM Black’s injury-time try earned Worcester Warriors a losing bonus point from a game Harlequins were always in control of.

The below-par hosts surrendered their 100 per cent league home record with a display lacking in intensity after a fortnight’s break from high-octane Premiership action.

Tries from scrum-half Danny Care and full-back Mike Brown ensured the men from The Stoop were in command although Black’s late touchdown suggested a close game.

However, Quins, on the back of impressive Heineken Cup performances — albeit defeats to Cardiff Blues and Toulouse — always looked the more likely winners, especially after racing into a fifth-minute lead through Care’s close-range score, which was converted by Kiwi fly-half Nick Evans.

Prior to the try, Warriors full-back Chris Latham was taken out in the air from the kick-off before dusting himself down and finding a good touch.

However, Quins stole the line-out — a problem which blighted Worcester for most of the match — and rumbled forward.

With an offside penalty in the bank, Evans attempted an ambitious cross-field kick, which Miles Benjamin defended. Play was brought back for the penalty, but the Kiwi’s attempt sliced across the face of the target.

England number eight Nick Easter, who later suffered a pulled calf muscle which should rule him out of the autumn internationals, skilfully gathered the restart before feeding Evans, who burst a flimsy tackle and set another platform in the Warriors 22.

A penalty for Worcester not rolling away was kicked to the corner and Care eventually sniped over for the opening score.

A fine flat pass by Willie Walker released the Worcester backs and Alex Grove, watched by Scotland head coach Andy Robinson at Sixways, sent Rico Gear scampering away.

The All Black cut inside before off-loading well to Sam Tuitupou. George Robson was penalised at the subsequent breakdown and Walker pulled back three points.

Gear was lucky to avoid a yellow card for flattening Brown with a shoulder charge but Evans punished the Worcester winger with three points from the penalty.

Warriors were incensed by a penalty against them for coming in at the side as they felt Quins wing Ugo Monye had not released in the tackle. Justice was done, though, as Evans pulled his half-way line effort wide.

Netani Talei, making his 50th appearance for Worcester, fielded a deep kick and galloped into the Quins half, causing panic and forcing them to infringe on the floor.

Walker made amends for a previous missed-touch from a penalty by shaping the ball right to left and just inside the upright.

Worcester began to get their driving game going and Quins looked rattled. From one such drive, prop Ceri Jones cynically dragged the maul down and was sent to the bin but Walker’s penalty was just wide.

The vociferous Sixways support were angered by the away side’s gamesmanship as they continually looked to run down the clock while reduced to 14 men.

There was certainly no silence for Evans’ much-disputed 34th-minute penalty following a Tuitupou tackle, but the kicker kept his cool to add the extra three points.

Warriors battered the Quins line for the final stages of the half but could only end the opening 40 minutes with a Walker drop-goal.

Warriors’ pack continued to force penalties in the second-half and Walker stroked the ball over sweetly to bring his side within a point of the men from The Stoop, before Evans missed another penalty chance.

Gear, who put in one of his best displays for Worcester, again put his side on the front foot with a jet-heeled burst deep into Quins territory but the away side stifled the chance.

Young fly-half Rory Clegg replaced the wayward Evans in the 58th minute, moments after he missed a drop-goal attempt, and drilled the ball through the posts after the Quins front row bagged a penalty.

However, the game was effectively over as a contest when Quins claimed the restart and Monye’s kick was gathered by Brown, who cantered under the posts to leave a simple Clegg conversion and make it 23-12.

Worcester could have narrowed the advantage soon after but Tuitupou was prevented getting a scoring pass away to Benjamin.

Benjamin was then denied another opportunity when the otherwise-excellent Latham fired a pass too far in front of the winger.

Worcester now ran at pace from deep as Quins played a kicking game in a bid to get back into the match.

When the visitors strayed offside, Walker kicked the penalty to nudge Warriors closer.

But Clegg responded from 25 yards out after Warriors had been hit for not rolling away.

The home side laid siege to the Quins line but it seemed as though their chance had gone when replacement Jonny Arr’s pass was knocked forward.

However, a late penalty conceded by the visitors allowed the Worcester pack to inch up to the line before Black crashed over for his first score for the club.