Premiership: Wasps 23-19 Worcester: Warriors beaten again at the Ricoh Arena

Wasps skipper Brad Shields' first-half try on his 50th appearance encapsulated his side's dominance up front

Wasps survived a Ben Morris red card as they came from behind to beat Midlands rivals Worcester and keep hopes of a Premiership top-eight finish alive.

After leading 13-3 at the break, the hosts were then stung by a Worcester fightback as Sam Lewis' try and three of Wasps old boy Billy Searle's four penalties put Warriors 19-6 in front.

But replacement hooker Tommy Taylor scored a try converted by Jacob Umaga.

And Lewis' late yellow card evened up numbers for the final seven minutes.

Wasps, for whom Umaga kicked five goals, still had to see out a fraught few minutes with Worcester camped on their line.

But, regalvanised following Morris's 59th-minute red card for leading with his head, Lee Blackett's men hung on to climb two places to seventh and earn their 14th successive Premiership win over Warriors, who still have not beaten Wasps since they moved from High Wycombe to Coventry in 2014.

Bottom-club Worcester's losing bonus point was the least they deserved for the way they rallied after a first half dominated by the Wasps pack, highlighted by the game's opening try from home skipper Brad Shields.

But, despite a 14-point haul from the boot of Searle, this was Warriors' 18th straight defeat in all competitions, a losing run that dates back to their sole on-field victory over London Irish on the opening weekend of the season.

Their only two 'wins' since were the two four-pointers they were handed for the Covid-postponed games against Harlequins and Newcastle.

Wasps: Atkinson; Kibirige, Odogwu, Fekitoa, Bassett; Umaga, Robson; West, Oghre, Alo, Rowlands, Gaskell, B Morris, Young, Shields (capt).

Replacements: Taylor, McIntyre, Toomaga-Allen, Cardall, Vailanu, Vellacott, Gopperth, R Miller

Sent off: Morris (59).

Worcester: Shillcock; Humphreys, Venter, Beck, Doel; Searle, Hougaard; Waller, Annett, Palframan, A Kitchener, Clegg, Hill (capt), Lewis, Kvesic.

Replacements: I Miller, Thomas, Andrews, Bresler, Batley, Simpson, Lawrence, Fidow.

Sin-bin: Lewis (73).

Referee: Ian Tempest (RFU).

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