MATCH SUMMARY Worcester: (3) 11 Try: Horstmann Pens: Brown, Drahm Northampton: (3) 15 Tries: Thompson, Cohen Con: Spencer Pen: Reihana

The two teams were locked at 3-3 after an attritional opening 62 minutes before Saints hooker Steve Thompson crossed from close range.

Ben Cohen put Saints further ahead when he caught Carlos Spencer's high kick.

Kai Horstmann's try put Worcester back in the game and they thought they had won but Aisea Havili's late score was ruled out because of a forward pass.

The victory was vital for Northampton who now move above Bath at the bottom end of the Premiership table.

But it was a heartbreaking result for Worcester who were forced to defend bravely as Northampton dominated possession and territory.

The game rested on referee Chris White's decision to disallow Havili's try in the corner when he was released by Shane Drahm's long and looping pass.

White and his touch judge ruled the pass as forward but the stunned reaction from Worcester rugby director John Brain on the touchline told its own story.

The game was played out in driving rain and the only scores in the first period came from the boot of Worcester's James Brown and Northampton's Bruce Reihana.

Northampton were camped on the Worcester line for long periods of the opening half and Saints took a stranglehold on the game in the second half when Thompson went over from Reihana's pass.

English centre Jon Clarke was at the heart of the opening try and it was his break that set up the second on 66 minutes, Cohen touching down from Spencer's probing kick to the corner.

Worcester refused to give in and Horstmann cut a superb line to burst through the Saints defence with six minutes left to set up a grandstand finale.

And the Sixways faithful thought they had nicked the points late on only for White to disallow Havili's score.