Aviva Premiership: Penalty tries earn Leicester Tigers comeback win

Scott Hamilton scores for Leicester on the stroke of half-time

England back-rower Tom Croft returned to action after nine months out

Leicester were awarded two penalty tries from close-range scrums as they battled back from a 14-0 deficit to beat Worcester 19-14 in an enthralling contest at Sixways.

A week after Richard Cockerill's vociferous complaints about refereeing at the scrums, he can surely have no complaints after his set-piece effectively won his side the match.

It was cruel on Worcester who played the better and more controlled rugby but ultimately paid a heavy price for not holding their own in just one - albeit important - phase of the game.

The Warriors had not lost at home since the opening day to Bath and made an impressive start, playing fluently against a side disjointed by 12 changes.

Andy Goode controlled affairs from fly-half and after nudging his side ahead with a penalty, he began a move which ended with David Lemi sliding in at the corner.

Goode added two more penalties as Leicester continued to struggle for any structure or gain-line penetration.

But on the stroke of half-time the Tigers finally produced a decent move from a lineout in the corner and the ball was shipped through Toby Flood and Mathew Tait to Scott Hamilton, who scored at the opposite corner.

Goode was sin-binned for a late hit on the try-scorer but Flood missed his third kick from three in the half as time expired.

Worcester survived the 10 minutes with 14 men but almost immediately on Goode's return, Leicester decided to take a scrum from a penalty close to the hosts' line, they got a quick push on and with the inevitable collapse a penalty try was awarded.

After an attritional half-hour Worcester looked to have survived, camped deep in the Leicester half with less that two minutes to go.

But Tait broke from deep and Thomas Waldrom's hack on forced a five-metre scrum. The result was almost inevitable - drive, collapse, penalty try, Leicester win.

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