RICHARD Hill admitted Worcester Warriors made heavy weather of their 26-19 Championship victory at Plymouth Albion.

Wing Miles Benjamin ran in a try treble before Andy Goode climbed off the bench to make the game safe with three second-half penalties.

It was Warriors’ first away league victory in 18 months after not winning on the road at all last term and Sixways head coach Hill said: “It was a hard game, but we made hard work of it. I could sense the pressure. The side had not won away from home in the league for some time and you could feel that.

“The players were trying to score too early, we needed more patience and more composure and to earn the right to go wide in attack.

“We certainly made heavy weather of it, although that is slightly unfair to Ply-mouth who, after their 50-point thrashing last week, really fronted up.

“They were a completely different side to the team last week, Graham Dawe had them fired up and they deserved their bonus point. They tackled their hearts out and their physicality in de-fence and willingness to tackle with our lack of finishing made for a tight game.”

He added: “In the first-half, we let go of the ball after a few phases and it took a while before we went forward. There were one or two comments from the crowd, which I accept, that it was like watching Worcester last year in terms of us going side to side. We had lots of possession but were not actually going too far forward.

“Plymouth’s defence was shuffling us towards the touchlines and waiting for us to make mistakes, which we did. In the second-half we made sure we got more go-forward.

“Plymouth were physically good in defence and it took a bit of brute force with the forwards doing the damage before we gave it to the backs. It was a lesson learnt.”

The former Bristol boss continued: “I have spoken to the players about my experience in this league. While scoring tries away from home is great, they must realise that teams like this treat it as a cup final.

“They will raise their game because they know if they don’t do that they will get beaten heavily. Plymouth threw everything at us in the first 20 minutes, scored a try and then it was up to us to change the game. It will be like that when we play away from home and we have to accept that.”

Hill’s introduction of experienced players from the bench, including England fly-half Goode, sealed the victory for Worcester.

The Warriors boss said: “I wanted to give us more go-forward. Joe Carlisle and Jonny Arr played well, but we were coming across an interesting defence. They held off and just let us show what we were going to do.

“It’s very easy to go sideways because they hold off you, let you pass and before you know it you are on the touchline.

“We just needed people like Aleki Lutui and Tevita Tau-moepeau to come on, with a bit more power.

“What was pleasing is that we have a good 22 at the moment, I can make replacements and generate extra energy.”