Premiership: Exeter Chiefs beat Worcester Warriors 28-11 for fifth straight victory

Exeter flanker Dave Ewers went in for two tries in five minutes just before the break

Exeter avenged last season's shock home defeat by Worcester as they maintained their winning start to the 2018-19 campaign with a fifth straight victory.

Trailing to Chris Pennell's 18th-minute penalty, the Chiefs turned the game with three converted tries in the final 15 minutes of the first half.

Hooker Jack Yeandle got the first before two from flanker Dave Ewers.

Ted Hill crossed on his first Worcester start but Harry Williams got the bonus-point try seven minutes from time.

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Teenage flanker Hill's try followed his two debut tries in last weekend's victory at Leicester, capped by his last-minute matcheinner.

Full-back Pennell got Worcester's other points with two penalties, although hitting the post with his conversion attempt, while recalled home stand-off Gareth Steenson kicked four conversions for the hosts.

Exeter remain second in the Premiership table, behind reigning champions Saracens, who romped to a fifth successive bonus-point victory at home to Bath.

Warriors have beaten Exeter only once in 13 Premiership meetings - but that one win was the defensive masterclass they produced in last season's 6-5 triumph at Sandy Park.

Exeter hooker Jack Yeandle got the opening try of the game at Sandy Park

And, when they kept the Chiefs shut out for the first 25 minutes and scored through the first of Pennell's two penalties, it looked like another shock might be on the cards.

But captain Yeandle went over from a rolling maul 15 yards out, with Steenson adding the extras, as he also did when Ewers crossed twice in the space of five minutes.

After going in probably a little unlucky to be trailing 21-3 at half-time, Pennell's second penalty reduced the arrears.

After Steenson's missed penalty, Hill's try pulled it back to 21-11. But Pennell's kick stayed out. And, after prop Ryan Bower's yellow card left Warriors a man short for the final 10 minutes, Exeter wrapped up maximum points when Williams came off the bench to score.

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter:

"I'm very pleased to win and with the foundation that we have laid down but we are not firing at 100 per cent and I'm concerned that we won't be able to shake out of that lethargy when we're challenged by the best.

"Again we didn't start quickly but went through the gears to score three tries but after that we didn't progress.

"The second half was the sloppiest of the season. We wasted 30 minutes of rugby where we could have prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

Warriors director of rugby Alan Solomons told BBC Hereford & Worcester:

"Exeter fully deserved to win. They and Saracens are ahead of the rest. The league is a two-horse race.

"Exeter had too much power for us but we had a good 20-25 minutes and full marks to their defence for keeping us out. They then scored three power tries but we showed resolve and resilience to pull it back to 21-11 before Ryan Bower was sin-binned.

"The Premiership is not a sprint but we would like to finish this block of fixtures with a win before our home crowd. We will have Nick Schonert, Bryce Heem and Francois Venter back and, with an eight-day turnaround too."

Exeter: Cordero; Nowell, Whitten, Devoto, Cuthbert; Steenson, Maunder; Hepburn, Yeandle (capt), Francis, Dennis, Hill, Ewers, Kvesic, S Simmonds.

Replacements: Taione, Moon, Williams, Atkins, Lonsdale, Townsend, J Simmonds, Hill.

Worcester: Pennell; Humphreys, Beck, Mills, Adams; Lance, Hougaard; Black, Singleton, Milasinovich, Bresler, Barry, Hill, Mama, Van Velze (capt).

Replacements: Heaney for Adams (30), Bower for Black (40), Kerrod for Milasinovich (40), Cox for van Velze (56), Lawrence for Beck (60), Taufete'e for Singleton (60), Black for Cox (69).

Not used: Kitchener, Weir

Sin bin: Bower (69).

Attendance: 9,730.

Referee: Ian Tempest.