SPIRITED Worcester Warriors remarkably drew their third consecutive Guinness Premiership game in a 16-16 deadlock with high-flying London Irish at the Madejski Stadium.

Mike Ruddock’s battlers even scored their first try since Callum Black’s late effort against Harlequins on October 24 — albeit a penalty try — while the reliable boot of stand-off Willie Walker provided 11 points.

Walker’s fellow former Gloucester fly-half Ryan Lamb also weighed in with 11 points, while left wing John Rudd brushed through some flimsy Warriors tackling for Irish’s solitary touchdown.

The Sixways side can rightly feel aggrieved to not have taken four points after out-playing their hosts for large periods with Aussie full-back Chris Latham and props Tevita Taumoepeau and Adam Black immense.

The visitors dominated up front, regularly shunting the Exiles off their own ball, and, had referee Tim Wigglesworth interpreted the set-piece more efficiently, Walker could have kicked his team out of sight.

Errors punctuated Warriors’ early play with Miles Benjamin attempting to catch a Lamb chip but putting a foot in touch, while Walker’s cross-kick was too heavy for Rico Gear, recalled in place of Marcel Garvey.

Tempers flared with Irish lock Nick Kennedy involved but Warriors’ second row Greg Rawlinson was sent to the sin-bin after just five minutes for his part in a dust-up.

The first scoring opportunity went to the hosts when Black was penalised for boring in at an early scrum but Lamb pulled his kick across the face of the posts.

Exiles captain Bob Casey was hit for going in at the side of a ruck and in-form goal-kicker Walker made no mistake to give his side the lead with 14 men.

Walker doubled his side’s advantage soon after with a kick from in front of the posts after Irish had gone off their feet.

Latham showed his undoubted class under the high ball, both in defence and by retrieving up-and-unders in Irish territory.

However, the forwards earned Walker his third shot at goal after they drove their opposite eight back to win a penalty 45 metres out and on the diagonal. But the stand-off was marginally off target.

Irish won a penalty when Warriors went off their feet trying to defend a back-tracking Benjamin, who was wrapped up by flanker Steffon Armitage.

To make matters worse, Tom Wood tackled replacement scrum-half Paul Hodgson without retreating 10 metres as he attempted to take the penalty quickly and became the second Worcester man to visit the sin-bin.

Lamb slotted his side’s first points of the match but they were cancelled out a minute later when, from out wide, Walker struck his third successful penalty.

The hosts made it 9-6 on 37 minutes when Worcester were hit for playing the ball on the floor and Lamb made no mistake.

Just five minutes after the re-start, a defensive lapse cost Warriors dearly. From re-cycled line-out ball, Rudd cut a good line and Craig Gillies fell off his tackle, allowing the former Newcastle man a clear run to the line for a score, which Lamb improved.

Warriors roared back, though, with a power-packed drive up to the Irish line.

Another penalty was awarded to the visitors as the home front row popped up and, from the next scrum, referee Wigglesworth awarded the penalty try as the hosts buckled under forward pressure again. Walker added the extras as Worcester reclaimed the lead.

Lamb levelled the scores at 16-16 on the hour after Worcester’s Sammy Tuitupou was harshly judged to have gone off his feet.

Latham’s kick into the Irish 22 caused Rudd to panic and he was wrapped up in the tackle, conceding a penalty seven metres from the touch-line and 24 metres out.

But Walker’s strike drifted marginally left of the uprights and Worcester’s chance of bagging a famous victory disappeared.

Then Hodgson’s clearance failed to find touch and Warriors staged a late rally.

As they edged closer to drop-goal territory, young scrum-half Johnny Arr opted for a chip into space for Benjamin and, although it nearly came off, it was the wrong option.

However, six points from a derby with Bath, the visit of table-topping Saracens and a trip to high-flying Irish is definitely an impressive return and a sign that Worcester are moving in the right direction.