FULL-TIME: Birmingham & Solihull 20-27 Worcester Warriors (From Worcester News)

FULL-TIME: Birmingham & Solihull 20-27 Worcester Warriors

1:00pm Saturday 19th February 2011 in Warriors By Tom Guest, @tomguestWN #WENsport

WORCESTER Warriors withstand a late rally by Birmingham & Solihull to hold on to a 27-20 Championship victory.

The four points take Warriors past 100 for the season and was achieved courtesy of second-half scores from full-back Chris Pennell and wing Oriol Ripol.

Richard Hill's second string side were below par, but had enough to edge out a resolute Bees outfit.

See Monday's Worcester News for a full match report, reaction and pictures.

HALF-TIME...

IT'S been a scrappy old game so far here at Damson Park, with the hosts having had marginally more of the play.

England under 20s flanker Matt Kvesic gave Warriors an early lead with a try, which Joe Carlisle improved, but Bees' number eight Russell Earnshaw grabbed a try for his side. Mark Woodrow's conversion levelled the scores.

More smart link-up play invovling Earnshaw, scrum-half Rod Petty and wing Ian Davey led to a second try for the home side, scored by Rob Connolly and omproved by Woodrow.

Woodrow also missed a penalty, but the hosts were good value for their interval lead.

• Click here for the very latest Worcester Warriors match updates and news - Tom Guest on Twitter.

GOOD afternoon and welcome to Damson Park for the Worcester News' live coverage of today's final Championship clash of the regular season between Worcester Warriors and Birmingham & Solihull (2pm).

Click on the link above for my minute-by-minute match updates via twitter.

Hooker Chris Fortey skippers Warriors, despite the return from injury of club captain Chris Pennell. The 23-year-old full-back is making his first appearance of the season following a serious ankle injury and will be joined in the starting XV by England prop Matt Mullan.

The table-toppers have made a number of changes to the side that defeated London Welsh 39-25. Head coach Richard Hill retains just two of the players from the the starting line-up that tackled the Dragons - Alex Grove and Graham Kitchener.

Grove will line-up against brother and former Warrior Ollie, who is named on the wing for Bees.

Andy Short is rewarded for his eye-catching performances for England under 20s with a place on the wing, while international team-mate Matt Kvesic plays in a back row that also contains James Collins and Adam Balding.

Fly-half Joe Carlisle and prop Callum Black, should he feature from the bench, will both make their 50th appearance for Worcester Warriors.

TEAM NEWS...

Warriors: Pennell; Short, A Grove, Higgitt, Ripol; Carlisle, Frost; Mullan, Fortey (capt), Tomaszczyk, Kitchener, Bowley, Collins, Kvesic, Balding. Reps: Shervington, Black, Wood, Freeman, Silver, King, Walker.

Birmingham and Solihull: Winter; Hunt, O Grove, Cox, Davey; Woodrow, Petty; Dugard, McMillan (capt), Halavatau, Noonan, D Sanderson, Connolly, Denbee, Earnshaw. Reps: TBA