Bracknell 6 Worcester 32

WORCESTER'S bid to join the Premiership monopoly game is one move nearer but they've now played their Get Out Of Jail card.

Three tries in the final 13 minutes saw them claim the all-important bonus point after a plainly pallid performance for much of the game at Sixways.

Bracknell were never in danger of causing an upset but they frustrated the home supporters for 67 minutes and with time running out, few would have banked on the late, late show.

However, Chris Yates, Joe Ross and then, with two minutes left, Jim Jenner crossed the line and Worcester had taken full advantage of Rotherham's defeat, 24 hours earlier, to go five points clear at the top of National One with a 32-6 win.

It was a thrilling conclusion to what had been a desperate match but on Remembrance Sunday, it was simply the result rather than the performance which will linger in the mind. So many times last season Worcester would not have claimed that fourth try in similar circumstances.

It would have stayed agonisingly out of reach in another 'if only' story. This time, though, the sheer desire shone through and, more tellingly, the quality of the squad proved a major factor.

Ross, Dave Sims, Christian Evans and Neil Lyman were introduced in the final 20 minutes and all proved their worth as Worcester stepped up through the gears against a tiring Bracknell. The four would, no doubt, be first choice at any other National One club and it was a clear reminder that this Worcester squad has a greater depth than last year.

Worcester's cause, however, was not helped early in the second half by the sin-binning of George Davis. Leading 13-0, the visitors pulled the scores back to 13-6 with two Ben Nowak penalties and Bracknell could have gone ahead if Alan Leishman had taken full advantage of Duncan Roke and Chris Garrard's comical leap together as they collided going for the same ball. The pivotal moment, though, did not come as a result of Davis' indiscretion or the Roke and Garrard show. It was the product of sheer determination.

With time running out and the crowd on his back, Yates decided enough was enough. As the Bracknell defence became more stretched, the centre bulldozed his way past two challenges for the try to lift the crowd and raise the belief. Frenzied cries of "pass the ball" from supporters were answered emphatically by the powerhouse, proving that persistence does, indeed, pay off.

Five minutes later and the crowd began to get behind their side. Sims won the lineout and after a forward drive, Ross touched down for a classic catch and drive move. Suddenly, after a match of pure agony, everything was looking easy. The crowd were alive, the team were on top and it looked only a matter of time before the coup de grace was administered.

And then it came. From a five metre scrum, Worcester moved the ball right and then left before Jim plunged over the line to finally fix it for his team. His first try back at Sixways since his summer return and one of his most important to date.

The classic ending, though, simply emphasised just how poor the prelude had been. The first half was characterised by the home side consistently kicking possession straight back to Bracknell, increasing the unrest in the stands. In the midst of such frustration, however, there were some notable highlights.

Steven Vile, on his home debut, gave Worcester the lead with a third minute penalty before Roke's thrilling 70-metre sprint led to the opening try. Roke collected the ball, after a Bracknell handling error, and just kept on running until he crossed for a memorable score.

The former Henley man looked the brightest spark in the midfield all afternoon and has now become a must in this Worcester side. Vile's extra points made it 10-0 but that was his work for the rest of the half before another penalty in the second plus two more conversions as the drama began to unfold.

The dramatic finale capped a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for Worcester since they were last at Sixways. On that day, they trudged off the field after defeat to Coventry had seemingly left their promotion dream in tatters. After Sunday, their five-star result has, once again, put top hats Worcester closer to joining that Premiership game. They will surely need to add more patience to their hand if they are to bankrupt Rotherham though.

Worcester: Hinshelwood 6, Garrard 6, Roke 7, Yates 6, Stanley 7, Vile 6, Smith 6; Davis 6, Hall 6, Moreno 6, Zaltzman 6, Morgan 6, Clarke, 6, Carter 7, JENNER 8.

Replacements: Pellow, Yapp, Ross 7 (Hall 57), Evans 6 (Clarke 69), Windo, Sims 6 (Morgan 69), Lyman 7 (Moreno 62).

Man of the match: JIM JENNER - strong display in all departments plus that bonus point try.