Replacement wing James Whybrow scored a dramatic try with the final play of the game as Worcester Warriors snatched a bonus point victory over Scottish side Currie in the British & Irish Cup.

James Freeman and Willie Walker grabbed first-half tries and England prop Matt Mullan made his comeback with an impressive 40-minute outing in incessant rain at Malleny Park.

Warriors looked on course for a comfortable four-try bonus with Joe Carlisle the architect of a score for Mike Penn just minutes into the second-half.

However, resilient Currie hit back with an intercept score from Matt Scott and a tense last 30 minutes saw Warriors come up short time and time again before Whybrow’s late intervention secured all five points in the Scottish capital.

An early penalty from home centre Hayden Abercrombie sparked Worcester into life and after Mike Penn had just failed with a kick and chase it was Freeman that opened the visiting account as he showed good strength to crash over.

Carlisle helped the Warriors increase their lead after with a neat show and go as the pressure mounted and when James Collins was held up just short of the posts from a powerful driving maul the ball was spun quickly down the line at pace for Walker to score a simple try.

A spell of pressure on the Warriors line duly followed as the hosts turned the screw with the numerical advantage after the sin-binning of Freeman allowed Abercrombie stroked over a penalty to cut the lead to 12-6 at the interval.

A spectacular run from deep by Penn illuminated the early stages of the second-half as he cruised past three men, with his work rewarded as Carlisle comfortably slotted a penalty for offside to extend Worcester’s advantage to nine points.

Strength and quick feet from Carlisle again put Worcester back on the attack as the young fly half made key yards. Carlisle then popped up to produce a magical inside pass to take out the static home defence as Penn scooted over for try number three under the posts.

The hosts’ Abercrombie cut the lead back with another successful kick before Carlisle responded with three points of his own.

The home side grabbed an intercept try as Scott picked off Ollie Frost’s pass to run almost the length of the field to score and ignite home hope.

Collins twice carried ball into contact before quick hands released Whybrow to raced in with the final play of the game.

Warriors: Walker; Penn, Higgitt, King, Ripol (Whybrow 65); Carlisle, Frost (Silver 67); Mullan (C Black 40), Shervington, Tomaszczyk, Dacres (Wood 59), Bowley, Freeman, Collins, Balding.