Bath drought over at last

Bath ended a losing run in finals stretching back 10 years with a 24-16 victory over Worcester to lift the European Challenge Cup at Kingsholm.

Bath had not won any silverware since the 1998 Heineken Cup victory over Brive, but overcame a brave Worcester challenge largely thanks to their dominant pack.

The Warriors are entitled to feel a little aggrieved since on three separate occasions Bath were fortunate to keep 15 players on the pitch, but the better team did win an always absorbing contest.

Both sides started quickly in what was an intensely physical opening, although it was 15 minutes before Olly Barkley put Bath ahead after Worcester were penalised for playing the ball on the ground.

Bath were dominating the contact area and making a complete mess of Worcester's lineout, but they bombed decent positions with a series of knock-ons, before Shane Drahm levelled for Worcester on 23 minutes.

It was the Japan-bound fly-half's kick which pinned Bath back inside their own 22 and when the lineout was lost, Danny Grewcock deliberately slowed the ball - and saved a try - in front of his own sticks. The England forward should have been sin-binned but Worcester had to settle for the three points.

Hands in

Two minutes later Bath were at it again, hands in after a Worcester break denying a try. Still there was no yellow card and this time Worcester came away with nothing after putting the ball in the corner and losing yet another lineout.

The next time Worcester lost the ball on their own throw was to prove even more costly, as Bath made them pay with a well-worked try, Lee Mears and Butch James combining to send Jonny Fa'amatuainu in at corner. Barkley converted off the post from the touchline and the score was 10-3.

Moments later Worcester skipper Pat Sanderson was pinged for handling in a ruck. Barkley's kick again hit a post but this time it rebounded into play, Worcester knocked on and Bath had a scrum five metres out.

This try was even better, Barkley's long pass hitting Joe Maddock at pace and a superbly acrobatic offload put Nick Abendanon in at the opposite corner.

Bath were dominant but Worcester did have a lifeline in injury time as Drahm slotted a penalty to cut the deficit to 15-6 at the half.

Charged down

Three minutes after the re-start Barkley had a kick charged down and Drahm hacked on, only for Lee Mears to cynically drag him back by the shirt as he chased the ball. How Mears stayed on the pitch is a mystery, but again Drahm's penalty was Worcester's only reward.

The Warriors went on to enjoy their best period of the match but the Bath defence held firm and after a high tackle by Rawlinson on Mears, Barkley stretched the lead from 53 metres out.

A Barkley drop-goal almost settled the contest and a Butch James penalty three minutes from time certainly did, with Thinus Delport's 80th-minute score merely adding some respectability to the scoreline.