DIRECTOR of rugby Dean Ryan believed Warriors were tidy apart from two isolated incidents in their narrow 30-26 defeat against Bristol at Sixways.

He felt that Warriors were starting to edge the contest after they opened up a 23- 10 lead before Cooper Vuna was shown a yellow card.

“As a team we looked really smart and we sat and were patient,” said Ryan.

“It was great to be in a contest. It’s really great to be in a proper chess-match contest.

Full credit to Bristol because that’s what it was.

“I thought we started to edge it and then we lost the pillars of 15 men to yellow cards and then when you add Penns (Chris Pennell) into that, it was going to be tough.

“I thought Charlie Mulchrone was fantastic at full-back with Biggsy (Tom Biggs) zooming around and covering but you can’t play a game at this level and expect to come out on top after these disruptions happen.

“That just isn’t realistic.”

He added: “I thought we were pretty tidy and we have to look at each isolated incident.

Jonathan Thomas is pretty unhappy about the circumstances that led to his yellow card but you can’t afford those elements in the game.

“I am going to be more than unhappy if we get a repeat of them in a play-off game.

“We have played 160 minutes of rugby against Bristol and it has been a fourpoint ball game each time.

“We wanted to come top of the pile but we didn’t and, ultimately, we want to be in the Premiership and I am sure Bristol do so we have to work really hard to do that.”

Warriors will now meet third-placed London Scottish in the play-off semi-finals, with Bristol taking on fourth-placed Rotherham Titans.

“We have to get through London Scottish and we will have to work really hard and Bristol will have to work really hard to get past Rotherham,” said Ryan.

“If we get the chance to meet again, the play-off final will be very tight and every second and minute of decisions and actions will play a part.”

Bristol head coach Sean Holley said he was pleased with the win, particularly after fighting back from 20-7 down.

“We stuck to our game-plan and the boys were really focused and understood what they had to do and it went our way.

“We managed the game quite well in the second-half. But in the first-half we almost gifted Worcester some points, which was disappointing. We were up in territory and possession at half-time but some silly errors cost us.

“We didn’t make as many errors in the second-half and we probably capitalised on a bit of ill-discipline from them. It has meant we have finished the regular season on top, unbeaten at home and we have taken away Worcester’s home record.”

Holley added: The squad know they are capable of coming to Worcester and winning.

“We were at this stage last year but we didn’t fulfil what we needed to. The slate is clean and we have to do a job to get to the final.”