WORCESTER Warriors’ search for their first victory at the Recreation Ground continues after a brave 21-14 defeat at Bath in the Aviva Premiership.

Warriors’ heart and commitment, once again, could not be faulted on a damp afternoon but they paid the price for some crucial mistakes.

They had to settle for a losing bonus point after enjoying their most sustained attacking moments of the match when the final whistle blew.

Worcester’s scrum remains their Achilles heel and it will need to be addressed with a crucial run of matches in 2016.

Wing Cooper Vuna showed his finishing prowess with a well-taken try in the first half and lock Tevita Cavubati carried strongly in his best performance for the club.

Warriors led 13-11 with two minutes of the opening half remaining and will rue turning down a shot at the posts when the opportunity arose.

Worcester made a mess of the subsequent line-out and a scrum penalty allowed Bath a chance to launch a final first-half attack from which they scored.

Warriors were penalised for a deliberate offside at the kick-off but Rhys Priestland’s penalty struck the post and landed in the arms of Phil Dowson.

Bath struck the first blow in the 10th minute after a mistake from Jonny Arr.

Scrum-half Arr was caught in possession at a defensive scrum and Ollie Devoto was teed up and sprawled over the line for Bath’s first try. Warriors hit back almost immediately as Bath skipper Guy Mercer was penalised for an offence and Tom Heathcote slotted the three-pointer.

Worcester had a let-off after 16 minutes when full-back Tom Homer’s long-range penalty drifted wide of the posts.

Bath remained on the front foot and Niall Annett was penalised at a breakdown tussle with Devoto and Priestland made no mistake with his three-pointer to put Bath 10-3 ahead.

But Warriors remained in the contest and Ryan Mills’ long-range penalty cut the deficit to just four points.

Donncha O’Callaghan came on for Darren Barry in the 22nd minute after the former Cornish Pirates player appeared to suffer a shoulder injury.

Good work at the line-out from Cavubati set up a chance on the right for Chris Pennell, who was halted illegally but Heathcote missed the target with his 30th-minute penalty attempt.

But Warriors continued to impress and Vuna finished off a rare first-half raid.

Heathcote instigated an attack down the left and found Wynand Olivier, who offloaded to Vuna.

The Australian international brushed past a covering challenge from Homer to score in the corner.

Heathcote missed the conversion but Warriors led 11-10 after 33 minutes.

Warriors had a chance to extend their advantage with two minutes of the half remaining after their front row pushed Bath off their own scrum.

Heathcote kicked to the corner but Annett’s throw-in was not straight and Warriors were made to pay when they conceded a penalty at the subsequent scrum.

Bath relieved the danger and Horacio Agulla gathered a long pass from Jonathan Joseph, which looked suspiciously forward, and squeezed over in the corner despite the attentions of Pennell and Mills.

Priestland extended Bath’s lead to 18-11 with a penalty four minutes into the second half but Heathcote’s three-pointer kept Worcester in touch.

Warriors made a triple substitution in the 58th minute with Na’ama Leleimalafaga, Sam Betty and Mills replaced by Val Ruskin, Marco Mama and Andy Symons.

But Worcester were having to defend for their lives and Bath’s pressure eventually paid off with a close-range penalty from Priestland with 11 minutes remaining.

With replacements Ben Sowrey and Charlie Mulchrone making an impact, Warriors ended the contest on the front foot.

However, Worcester couldn’t make their pressure count but a losing bonus point could prove important at the end of the campaign.