Premiership: Gloucester 12-6 Worcester Warriors

Billy Twelvetrees kicked Gloucester to victory over winless Worcester, in a game delayed by a broken crossbar.

A giant inflatable ball hit the bar during the pre-game entertainment, meaning the match started 30 minutes late while it was re-attached.

Once under way, the game was an attritional affair, with fly-halves kicking all the points.

Ignacio Mieres landed a penalty in either half for Worcester, but four from Twelvetrees won it for the hosts.

The result gave Gloucester only their third Premiership win of the season and their first at Kingsholm since September.

Worcester, meanwhile, remain bottom of the table without a single victory this term.

A giant inflatable ball broke the crossbar and delayed the start of Sunday's game

The indifferent form of both sides was apparent in Sunday's scrappy meeting, but it was Nigel Davies' team who snatched the vital win to move up to ninth.

England's Twelvetrees took on the captaincy and the number 10 shirt for the game, replacing out-of-form kicker Freddie Burns.

And, following the unusual build-up to proceedings, the Cherry and Whites skipper opened the scoring with a penalty after two minutes.

Worcester clawed their way back from an early deficit through Mieres, but the boot of Twelvetrees restored Gloucester's three-point lead at the break.

Mieres' second kick crept over from 22 metres to level again before Twelvetrees landed his third successful penalty out of five attempts.

The game started to come to life when Worcester's Richard De Carpentier was sin-binned for a high tackle and Twelvetrees secured a fourth kick.

Despite the deficit, Warriors enjoyed their best period of play in the entire match, as scrum-half replacement Paul Hodgson led a charge towards the home line and Paul Warwick went close of crossing before Gloucester cleared.

And Cherry and Whites managed to hold on with only 14 men, as wing Jonny May saw a yellow card for a late tackle.

VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM

Gloucester director of rugby Nigel Davies told BBC Gloucestershire:

"Both sides were desperate for the win. We had to come here and show character under a lot of pressure.

"I've thanked the boys for their efforts because we were all under a lot of pressure to get this result. It was a must-win.

"They went out there and they didn't panic and, ultimately, we got out just deserts."

Worcester Warriors boss Dean Ryan:

"I'm proud of the effort today. We are getting better, irrespective of who we play.

"We've got injuries but nobody is moaning. We're just getting on with it and getting better week to week.

"I'm looking forward to the New Year because we're a different side to what we were eight or nine weeks ago - by a long way.

"We are a pretty strong group now and we're looking forward to seeing what comes round the corner."

SUNDAY'S LINE-UPS

Gloucester: Cook, Sharples, Trinder, Tindall, May, Twelvetrees, Cowan, Wood, Dawidiuk, Puafisi, Stooke, Hudson, Cox, Kvesic, B. Morgan.

Replacements: Robson for Cowan (60), Y. Thomas for Wood (71), Knight for Puafisi (60), Qera for Kvesic (53).

Not Used: Edmonds, Hicks, F. Burns, M. Thomas.

Sin Bin: May (76).

Worcester: Pennell, Stephenson, Grove, Fatiaki, Drauniniu, Mieres, Su'a, Fainga'anuku, Brooker, O'Donnell, Percival, Galarza, De Carpenier, Betty, Thomas.

Replacements: Symons for Fatiaki (56), Hodgson for Mieres (67), Warwick for Su'a (67), Seymour for Brooker (64), Andress for O'Donnell (43), Jones for Galarza (75), Senatore for Thomas (41).

Not Used: Becasseau.

Sin Bin: De Carpenier (64).

Att: 15,629

Ref: JP Doyle (RFU).