WORCESTER Warriors “hit a low” and were “hugely disappointing” in their 57-22 hiding at Exeter Chiefs in the Aviva Premiership, admits full-back Chris Pennell.

Pennell described conceding 57 points at Sandy Park as “terrible” and said a “punished” Warriors side have to take their “medicine” following another tough defeat in the top tier.

Warriors are second from bottom in the Premiership and just six points above basement boys Bristol, who picked up a losing bonus point in their defeat to Leicester Tigers.

Now Pennell , 29, is urging his team-mates to respond in next Sunday’s West Midlands derby with Wasps at Sixways (3pm).

“You look at the (Exeter) result and see 57 points were conceded and that’s obviously terrible,” said Worcester-born Pennell.

“We need to respond to it and show the fans what that means to us. I think when you hit a low there is only one way to go and it’s how high we can get back up and how strong we can be – that will be the big test.”

Warriors have now conceded 57 points twice in their Premiership history – they lost 57-3 at Sale Sharks in September 2004.

Worcester have shipped 283 points in nine top-tier matches this term, which is just seven fewer than relegation rivals Bristol, who have conceded 280.

Pennell said: “The defeat hurts, emotions are very high and it was hugely disappointing.

“Technically, we sat off a bit too much in defence and we were five to 10 per cent down from where we should have been.

“The Chiefs were on fire and showed us up – it was as simple as that.

“We have to take our medicine and the beauty of this game is we have another shot but this result was hugely disappointing.”

Exeter ran in eight tries and could have scored more in a one-sided affair as the hosts looked a class above Warriors for most of the match.

Pennell said he was “proud” of the efforts of the younger players who were given a baptism of fire against last season’s Premiership finalists.

“I was proud of the effort from the young guys, like Jack Singleton, Andy Kitchener, Josh Adams and Jamie Shillcock,” Pennell said.

“They were young guys in a really tough environment and really fronted up and, as senior players, we have to deal with the scoreline.

“The important thing is those young guys have been shown what the standard is and where they need to get to.

“It goes to show that when you come up against one of the top teams and you are not on your game, you get punished. That is the lesson we have to learn.”

There is no respite for Warriors, who have won just once this term in the league, because they next come up against much-fancied Wasps at Sixways.

The Coventry-based outfit romped to a 54-35 Premiership win at Sixways last season, which saw Christian Wade bag six tries.

And Wasps crushed Warriors 62-10 earlier this month at the Ricoh Arena in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.

“We can’t afford to be off it at all when we’re playing in the Premiership and we have a huge test next up,” said Pennell.

“We have to be firing on all cylinders and we need to come out and have a response.

“We have to bounce back and it’s up to the guys who take to the field on Sunday to really show what it means to them now.”