Image source, Rex Features

Two yellow cards and an eerie yet raucous home crowd.

This has been a real battle between the Premiership's bottom two sides.

Neither side is holding back or playing things safe, as Worcester win a penalty and Ryan Mills kicks to touch as the hosts go for another score.

Bristol make the most of their extra man, forcing Worcester back thanks to their driving maul.

Jason Woodward takes the short ball, taking the hosts by surprise, and dives over in spectacular fashion.

Gavin Henson is on target with the conversion to put Bristol to within a converted try of Warriors, who have Bryce Heem back after his yellow card.

Newcastle have to work hard for their first try of the afternoon, but finish it off well.

Juan Pablo Socino breaks through a couple of challenges and finds Dominic Waldouck running a great line,

The centre bursts through one defender, spins and holds off two more men to touch down.

Sonatana Takulua adds the extras.

Just over 20 minutes left at Kingston Park.

Footwork, pace, and strength - all things shown in abundance by  Francois Hougaard.

The South African gets on his bike with ball in hand after Warriors steal a Bristol lineout, and he surges through the visiting defence to score.

Ryan Mills adds the extra for Worcester, who are still down to 14 men. 

It's scrum time and the Bristol pack squeeze a penalty out of their under-strength hosts.

From an angle, ex-Wales international Gavin Henson dissects the posts and the visitors are up and running.

Meanwhile, Worcester fly-half Ryan Mills seems to be struggling with an injury.

Billy Vunipola starts a move that ends in Saracens' third try of the game.

The England number eight smashes into Mark Wilson and powers through the Falcons flanker.

Sarries then work the ball wide, with Jim Hamilton and Michael Rhodes involved in a great team move before Chris Ashton finishes it off in the corner.

Alex Lozowski is unable to add the conversion.

We're almost a quarter of an hour into the second half.

It's Worcester's turn to go down to 14 men for 10 minutes.

Bryce Heem does not hold back with his tackle, stopping the Bristol man in his tracks, but it's deemed dangerous by the referee and he's sent to the bin.

Bristol now have a window to get some points on the board.

It's as you were so far in the north east.

Newcastle started the half on the front foot but Richard Wigglesworth scrambled the danger away with a good kick.

No real scoring opportunities for either side as yet. 

The home side have been first to loose balls and look both sharper and more fired up than Bristol.

Worcester are throwing the ball around with real quality but can't quite increase their lead as Joe Taufete'e knocks on as he runs onto a pass.

Bristol must be hoping they can finally get a foothold in this match as Dan Tuohy returns from his sin-binning.

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at Sixways

After a morning of rain in Worcestershire, not that it should matter too much now on the Warriors' artificial pitch, it's pretty grey, overcast and windy here at Sixways.

The flags outside the ground are blowing and it might not be the ideal conditions for kickers - should this crunch clash be decided that way.

It certainly was the last time Bristol came here for a league game in May 2015, when Ryan Lamb's apparently nerveless conversion of Chris Pennell's last-minute try won Worcester promotion.

When Bristol hosted Worcester in the Championship play-off final first leg at Ashton Gate two years ago, the hosts helped add to the party atmosphere by doling out thousands of free flags to wave.

Warriors have followed suit today.

Image source, BBC Sport

Warriors are a man up for another five minutes and have already built a 10-point buffer over their relegation rivals.

This time Bristol are penalised at the scrum, and Ryan Mills shows great nerve to kick the points from some distance.

How fast a start was that from the hosts?

Warriors win a penalty after just 15 seconds after a high kick causes problems, and after they maul towards the line Bristol simply cannot cope.

Dan Tuohy brings the maul down when a try was inevitable, so the Bristol man is yellow-carded and Ryan Mills kicks the Worcester conversion.

The second half is under way at Kingston Park as Alex Lozowski gets things started.

Can Newcastle find a way back into the match?

Image source, Rex Features