Premiership: Wasps move towards safety with bonus-point 28-16 win over Worcester

Worcester's Chris Pennell evades the challenge of Nathan Hughes, who scored twice in Wasps' win

Wasps moved themselves clear of the Premiership relegation battle with a 28-16 bonus-point win over Worcester.

The home side scored three tries in 15 first-half minutes through Nathan Hughes, Marcus Watson and Zurabi Zhvania.

Warriors hit back through Sam Lewis but a second try just after the hour for England forward Hughes sealed victory.

Wasps climb to seventh, leaving Warriors deep in relegation trouble in 11th - three points clear of Newcastle.

• Late Saracens denies Newcastle a bonus point

• Ruthless Chiefs punish 14-man Tigers

• Bath beat Bristol in Twickenham West Country derby

After Duncan Weir's early penalty had put the visitors in front, Wasps took control of the contest.

Hughes' first score was given after a referral to the Television Match Official, before Watson crossed and Georgian prop Zurabi Zhvania burrowed over from short range.

The shell-shocked Warriors regrouped and after a good spell of pressure of their own, Sam Lewis went over and Duncan Weir added the extras.

Wasps centre Gaby Lovobalavu was then yellow carded for an early tackle on Welsh wing Josh Adams.

Weir kicked to the corner as the visitors looked for a second try before half time but Francois Hougaard was tackled and turned over by James Gaskell as he darted for the line.

Scotland international Weir knocked over a penalty on the stroke of half time to reduce the gap to 21-13.

After Wasps outside-half Lima Sopoaga had effortlessly kicked three conversions, he had a moment to forget when he missed a penalty in front of the posts, in the first action of the second period.

Warriors skipper Chris Pennell showed him how it was done just minutes later when he kicked a penalty from halfway to cut the gap to five, but Wasps held off the revival to secure their bonus point .

After being checked by the TMO for a forward pass, Hughes' second try of the afternoon was given, allowing Sopoaga to add his fourth conversion.

Wasps director of rugby Dai Young:

"If we had lost, we'd have been right in it and in a bit of a dogfight. You'd be silly not to have half an eye on it because it is still mathematically possible.

"I still feel we need at least another win to be comfortable but we can attack what is in front of us now with a bit more confidence than if we had lost.

"That's the Nathan Hughes we like. His performances prior to this week probably have not been anywhere what we expect. By his own admission, he's not had the impact in games he's capable of."

Worcester director of rugby Alan Solomons:

"We are not the only club in that relegation battle. I am confident we can do it but we need to play well. If we play to the best of our ability, we will avoid the drop.

"But if you don't play to the best of your ability, then you're going to have a problem and we certainly didn't in the first 20 minutes of this game.

"I know the momentum swung after this but I felt we could have defended a lot better than we did inside our 22. The tries came too easily. We weren't really at the races in the first 20 minutes."

Wasps: Le Roux; Watson, Daly, Lovobalavu, Bassett; Sopoaga, Simpson; Zhvania, Cruse, Stuart, Launchbury (capt), Gaskell, Shields, Carr, Hughes.

Replacements: Johnson, McIntyre, Cooper-Woolley, Rowlands, Morris, Hampson, Miller, De Jongh.

Worcester: Pennell; Howe, Te'o, Mills (capt), Adams; Weir, Hougaard; Black, Annett, Milasinovich, Bresler, Barry, Hill, Lewis, Mama.

Replacements: Kitchener for Bresler (48), Venter for Adams (51), Waller for Black (51), Du Preez for Hill (52), Taufete'e for Annett (58), Heaney for Weir (66), Kerrod for Milanovich (68).

Not used: Van Breda.

Referee: Matthew Carley.

For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.