NEWCASTLE were dragged into an Aviva Premiership relegation dogfight after Josh Drauniniu’s late try handed Worcester their first win of the season at Kingston Park yesterday.

The Falcons were only behind in the contest once until the final ten minutes when Warriors wing Drauniniu crashed over in the corner for a try that never really looked like coming on a foggy afternoon.

Falcons fly-half Phil Godman had traded four penalties with Chris Pennell and Ryan Lamb – the Warriors pair slotting two each – in a game which was a true definition of relegation battle.

Try as they might Newcastle couldn’t respond to Drauniniu’s score, but the losing bonus point kept them nine points ahead of Worcester with four matches remaining.

The stakes couldn’t have been higher for the Premiership’s bottom two.

It was the Falcons who drew first blood through fly-half Godman after a slick move from a line-out saw Andy Saull draw a penalty.

However, Dean Ryan’s troops were handed the chance to get back on level terms almost immediately, Rob Vickers’ indiscretion at the scrum allowing Pennell to smash a three-pointer through the posts from 50 metres.

Then the full-back stepped up to the tee once more for another kick, this time angled from the right, after Gonzalo Tiesi was penalised for holding on.

It was nip and tuck until the 20th minute when the Falcons forced Worcester to concede penalty at a scrum and Godman duly obliged.

After another spell of attrition, Drauniniu gained vital yards inside Newcastle territory, which eventually saw Pennell step up again, but with his easiest chance so far, the 26-year-old missed on the right.

Instead, it was Godman who edged ahead in the pair’s personal battle with his third penalty.

When Lamb had a chance to knock through a straight-forward effort from the 22 just before the break, the Worcester fly-half was left holding his head in his hands after the ball cannoned back off the upright.

A tense start to the second half saw Godman and Lamb trade penalties, though replacement Falcons hooker George McGuigan made an instant impact with some incisive running.

Lamb had clearly recovered from his glaring miss and made it four penalties apiece as more ill-discipline crept in at the breakdown.

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But the Falcons were building a head of steam as the second half wore on with standoff Joel Hodgson – on the pitch for Godman – opening doors for his side.

However, the match was turned on its head in the last ten minutes when Drauniniu crashed over on the left-hand side after a lung-busting break by replacement Andy Symons.

Lamb could not add the extras, but Warriors hung on in the face of Falcons’ waves of attacks.