IT should have been the perfect way to end a run of results that is now beginning to seriously undermine Worcester's early-season promise.

When Aisea Havili crashed over the line with little more than a minute left on the clock, Sixways erupted at what looked like the most spectacular and unlikely of wins.

But the joy was soon to be replaced by confusion and anger as referee Chris White, assisted by touch-judge Peter Huckle, disallowed the try because Shane Drahm's pass to the Tongan had apparently gone forward.

The giant TV screens in the corner of the ground did not provide conclusive confirmation of White's decision. It wouldn't have made much difference anyway -- although the game was covered by Sky, the television referee can only be pressed into service when the dispute centres on an incident on the goal-line.

In truth, Worcester had been on the back-foot for much of the game and, but for some magnificent defending, would have been dead and buried long before the end.

It was never going to be especially pretty on a cold, murky January day and it looked like the kind of match that Warriors would relish.

But, unfortunately for them, Saints proved that they are not just a team of talented runners. They have a pretty useful pack as well and it was their forwards, led by England hooker Steve Thompson, who tilted the game in their favour.

After Mike Maguire's miserable debut at Newcastle on New Year's Day, Worcester handed Mark Tucker a first Premiership start against the club he left in the summer.

But it was never going to be easy for the wing to make a name for himself in a match that, by the latter stages, was being played in a mud bath.

Outside-half James Brown had the first opportunity to put points on the board but his long-range penalty didn't carry.

The video referee was then needed after Havili wiggled through the Saints defence before being held up by Reihana and scrum-half Mark Robinson. Thinus Delport followed up but the verdict was that the South African hadn't grounded the ball.

Brown settled his nerves with an awkward penalty, but that would be the only time Worcester troubled the scorers in the first-half.

In fact, aside from a Bruce Reihana penalty, neither team added any points in the first hour of the match.

The game was getting uglier by the minute and Saints were slowly grinding Worcester down, with prop Chris Budgen finishing inches from a try.

Eventually the breakthrough came when Reihana found Thomson in enough space to score. England wing Ben Cohen then held on to a punt from Carlos Spencer to widen the gap.

But just as Northampton were beginning to turn the screw, Worcester produced a spirited response, which set up an electrifying last few minutes.

The back-row trio of Kai Horstmann, Johnny Tuamoheloa and Drew Hickey worked tirelessly throughout the game but the introduction of Tom Harding at open-side seemed to give Warriors more attacking impetus.

Shane Drahm and Andy Gomarsall were back in harness at half-back and now anything seemed possible. Horstmann gratefully accepted Drahm's invitation to power over with five minutes left, but crucially the Australian could not add the conversion, which left Worcester needing another try.

Hickey somehow found the energy to launch an attack and, when the ball fell to Havili, a famous victory beckoned before it was cruelly snatched from Worcester's grasp.

Warriors: Delport, Havili; Rasmussen, Lombard; Tucker; Brown (Drahm), Powell (Gomarsall); Windo, C Fortey (Hickie), Taumoepeau (L Fortey), Murphy (O'Donoghue), Gillies, Horstmann, Tuamoheloa (Harding), Hickey.

Warriors man-of-the-match: Craig Gillies.

Attendance: 9,726.