WORCESTER’S abysmal away record continued with a defeat to Aviva Premiership bottom side Sale Sharks in Salford tonight.

The loss ensured Warriors managed just one win on the road in the whole of 2012 — a 6-0 success at Wasps all the way back on New Year’s Day.

Sale were full of festive spirit in the opening 20 minutes of the game, conceding no fewer than five penalties, three of which were in range for Warriors fly-half Andy Goode.

The Worcester 10 accepted all three gifts to put Warriors 9-0 ahead, with the second of his kicks taking him past Shane Drahm as the Sixways club’s leading points-scorer in the modern era.

Sale began to find a foothold in the game and, faced with a strong wind into their faces, looked to kick penalties to the corner rather than trying for goal. The tactic paid dividends in the 22nd minute when former England fly-half Danny Cipriani nudged a penalty to the corner, which allowed Scotland lock Richie Gray to batter his way over from the resultant line-out.

The impressive Cipriani added the extras to make it 9-7 to the visitors, but Warriors went straight down the other end and scored a try of their own.

John Andress, on as a blood replacement for Euan Murray, made a bullocking run into the 22, before further impetus was provided by Walker, Ed Shervington and Taulava with Neil Best on hand to finish the move off and hand Goode a simple conversion.

Sale came back again, though, and Warriors full-back Chris Pennell was sin-binned for not rolling away as the home side threatened a second score.

With Worcester down to 14 men, Sale soon crossed the whitewash again when back-rower James Gaskell was on the end of a huge overlap. Cipriani slotted the conversion to make it a two-point game at the break.

Goode nudged Warriors further ahead with an early second-half penalty, but Worcester were soon down to 14 again when Nikki Walker was binned for a deliberate knock-on, with Cipriani slotting the penalty.

The Sale fly-half then put his side in front for the first time when Warriors were penalised trying to run from deep. Goode missed his first shot at goal, but minutes later landed a penalty after replacement Fraser McKenzie was yellow-carded for a high shot on Taulava.

Despite being a man down, Sale grabbed their third try when wing Mark Cueto crossed in the corner to become the Premiership’s joint-highest try-scorer of all time.

Cipriani gave his side breathing space with the conversion, before making sure Warriors travel sickness continued with two further penalties.

Replacement hooker Aleki Lutui burrowed over for a late Warriors try from a line-out to snatch the consolation of a losing bonus point.

Warriors: Pennell; Walker, Grove, Matavesi (Clarke, 49), Lemi; Goode, Hodgson (Arr, 54); Ceri Jones, Shervington (Lutui, 60), Murray (Andress, 21-27; 54), Percival, Chris Jones (Schofield, 60), Best (Betty, 65), Kvesic, Taulava. Not used: O'Donnell, Gray.

Referee: Wayne Barnes.