WORCESTER Rugby Club's title challenge took a huge dent yesterday as bottom side Waterloo denied them a precious bonus point before going down 30-18 at Sixways.

Adrian Skeggs' men took four points from the victory to go nine clear at the top of National One, but the door is well and truly ajar for second-placed Leeds Tykes whose game with Coventry was postponed.

The Yorkshire side now have two games in hand on Worcester and bonus point victories in those will take them above the Gold'n'Blues in the title race.

The leaders failed to spark at a sodden Sixways and a game which should have been a formality against the team with the worst defensive record turned into a real battle with Waterloo bagging two second-half tries.

And Skeggs, who had wanted to see a try bonanza to boost his side's goal difference, labelled Worcester's display as "catastrophic." He said: "The amount of basic turnovers compared to forced turnovers in the match was just catastrophic.

"Once again we played in our own half too much, coughed ball up and individuals decided not to play the game plan. Problems of the past have taken away the momentum that we have built up over the last two weeks.

"That is now five games at home where we've missed out on bonus points."

He added: "Waterloo's players will be back to work on Monday. My players are off to Malaga after the Wakefield game. If you were a neutral who just came to the match, you wouldn't know which side was professional and which one was amateur."

The Australian, however, will not be pressing the panic button before Saturday's trip to Wakefield. "There is no point yelling and screaming at them because that just compounds the disappointment they already feel."

Skeggs though had a warning for his professionals before their weekend trip to Yorkshire.

"If they perform like that against Wakefield, I will make Malaga a nightmare for them."