Bath (6) 18 Pens: Malone (5) Drop: Malone Worcester: (3) 10 Tries: Penalty Cons: Hayes(1) Pens: Hayes (1)

Bath won their first Premiership game in four attempts at the expense of a valiant Worcester.

The victory was far from a foregone conclusion until Chris Malone scored a drop goal and penalty in injury time.

Bath almost had victory snatched away from them when they were forced to contest a five-metre scrum on their own line while they played for the whistle. Malone kicked all of Bath's points while Tommy Hayes converted a penalty try and kicked a penalty.

Bath took the lead when Malone made no mistake with a 35-metre penalty on 11 minutes after Dale Rasmussen's illegal tackle on 19-year-old centre Tom Cheeseman.

Malone doubled the scores before Hayes reduced the deficit in the 37th minute.

The Worcester forwards put incessant pressure on Bath after the interval with referee David Rose eventually awarding a penalty try, which was converted.

We really had to use our reserves the best we could Bath coach John Connolly

Malone brought Bath back into the game with penalties on 58 and 66 minutes and that slender lead was only just protected before he made the game safe in injury time.

Bath coach John Connolly was delighted with the display of his makeshift outfit.

"With injuries in the last couple of days and international calls we really had to use our reserves the best we could," said Connolly.

"We had to work hard trying to stop their driving mauls and their scrums but the win really says a lot about the team spirit here.

I felt that at 10-6 up we didn't deserve to be winning Worcester coach John Brain

"Worcester are a side that have beaten Wasps and Sale."

Worcester director of rugby John Brain was disappointed with his side's "discipline".

"I felt that at 10-6 up we didn't deserve to be winning," he said. "And at 12-10 down we were hanging on for the bonus point rather than trying for the win.

"A lot of positive things have been said about us. The players came here expecting to win but our discipline was poor in the the first half."

Bath: Perry; A Williams, Cheeseman, Davis, Booth; Malone, Walshe; Flatman, Humphreys, Loader; Hudson, Fidler; Lewis, Scaysbrook, Fea'unati.
Replacements: Wood for Walshe (56), Barnes for Flatman (38), Mears for Humphreys (26), Delve for Lewis (56). Not Used: Smith, Pez, Perrett.

Worcester: Delport; Pieters, Rasmussen, Lombard, Hinshelwood; Hayes, Powell; Windo, van Niekerk, Horsman; Collier, Gillies; Hickey, Sanderson, MacLeod-Henderson.
Replacements: Trueman for Rasmussen (64), Daly for van Niekerk (52), Fortey for Horsman (67), Vaili for MacLeod-Henderson (56). Not Used: Murphy, Cole, O'Leary.

Referee: D Rose (RFU)