Premiership: Worcester Warriors 35-31 Exeter Chiefs - Tom Hendrickson sent off for visitors

Worcester scrum-half Willi Heinz set up the first Warriors try for Alex Hearle after Exeter had been reduced to 14 men

Worcester capitalised on an early Tom Hendrickson red card to earn just their second Premiership win over Exeter.

The game hinged on the 15th-minute dismissal of Exeter centre Hendrickson for a head-high tackle on Worcester number eight Sione Vailanu.

Winger Alex Hearle ran in a hat-trick of tries with Noah Heward and Harry Doel also going over for the home side.

Santiago Grondona, Tom O'Flaherty, Jack Innard, Max Norey and Dave Ewers replied for the Chiefs.

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Worcester came into the game at the bottom of the Premiership table while Exeter had hopes of moving up to second after four successive wins.

A game of 10 tries fizzed into life when the TMO judged Hendrickson's challenge on Vailanu was dangerous.

Vailanu was initially replaced for a head injury assessment but did not return, and his side took advantage of the extra man when Willi Heinz broke through a gap to play in Hearle.

Exeter hit back when number eight Grondona crashed over followed by O'Flaherty diving on the loose ball, with the try given after a lengthy review with Warriors claiming a knock-on in the build-up.

Hearle scored his second try after exploiting space following a line-out to take the sides in level at 14-14 at the break.

Worcester got their third try after a brilliant interception from full-back Heward, who ran the length of the pitch to score, early in the second half.

Innard replied again for Exeter after a series of mauls but replacement Doel's try earned a bonus point before Hearle's third try secured Worcester's first Premiership win at Sixways over the Chiefs in 10 attempts to move Steve Diamond's men off the bottom of the table.

Exeter did give themselves late hope when Norey scored from a driving maul but, despite picking up two bonus points, their play-off hopes were still dented.

Worcester director of rugby Steve Diamond:

"We played a few young players last week and got a kick in the nuts so we needed to build up resilience and the players certainly did that, to show why they want to have a future at the club.

"A lot of things went well but there are still a few things to work on and it wouldn't be Worcester if there weren't. These are exciting times but we won't be swinging from the chandeliers. Just concentrating on returning to training next week.

"The red card was a rugby incident, just a clash of heads but, after they went down to 14, they started knocking the ball up the middle so the instructions were to stay tight defensively around the ruck and move the ball wide.

"Willi Heinz was back at his best, Fin Smith was a revelation and I haven't seen a lot of Harri Doel but if he comes on and plays like that, it's going to be hard to leave him out."

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Radio Devon:

"I can't complain about the red card because there's a freeze frame in there which is chin down to the shoulder.

"It feels like we gave up some really soft points but I can't actually fault their effort and fight to win the game but in the space of that game we've had 20 or 30 seconds of moments that massively hurt us.

"Their first try is just a poor missed tackle, then we've thrown another interception and they've gone the length of the pitch which looked and probably felt like a 14-point turnaround at that stage.

"It has been a dent to us getting into the top four but we have a chance with the two points."

Worcester: Heward; Humphreys, Morris, Beck, Hearle; Smith, Heinz; McCallum, Annett, Judge, Batley, G Kitchener, Hill (capt), Kvesic, Vailanu.

Replacements: Miller, Owen, Owlett, Forsythe, Clegg, Simpson, Searle, Doel.

Exeter: Hodge; Woodburn, Whitten, Hendrickson, O'Flaherty; J Simmonds, S Maunder; Hepburn, Innard, Williams, Kirsten, Armand, Ewers, Vermeulen, Grondona.

Replacements: Norey, Kenny, Schickerling, Witty, Capstick, J Maunder, H Skinner, Cordero

Sent off: Hendrickson (15)

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe (RFU).

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