Connacht 19 Worcester 7:Connacht continue to stamp their authority on Pool 2 of the Amlin Challenge Cup after tonight's deserved 19-7 win over Worcester Warriors at the Sportsground.
The win all but ended Worcester’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals while the Irish province remains top of their pool.
The visitors reached the semi-finals of last year's competition but a second defeat in the space of a week has virtually ended their interest in Europe this season.
Mike Ruddock’s side travelled to Galway desperate to turn around their 26-21 loss at home to Connacht.
Fullback Chris Pennell gave the visitors the perfect start when he scored the game's first try on 24 minutes, which was converted by outhalf Matthew Jones.
However, Michael Bradley’s side mastered the conditions on a cold and blustery night to take lead 8-7 at the break through the boot of outhalf Ian Keatley and a score from flanker John Muldoon.
Gavin Duffy extended the advantage early in the second half though it was not until Keatley kicked a second penalty 10 minutes from time that Worcester simply had too much to do.
A late Keatley drop goal denied the Warriors the chance of a losing bonus point and left Connacht eyeing a place in the last eight.
Elsewhere Newcastle suffered their first defeat in Pool 5, going down 24-19 to Montauban.
Outhalf Jimmy Gopperth kicked 14 points, including the conversion of Gcobani Bobo's second-half try.
That was not enough to overcome tries by Gregory Argenese and Adrien Figueiredo in either half, although a late penalty by Gopperth ensured the Falcons snatched a potentially crucial losing bonus point at Stade Sapiac and remain three points clear of the French club in the pool.
Hooker Argenese barged over on 22 minutes and scrum-half Julien Audy added three kicks as Montauban raced into a 16-3 lead.
However Gopperth reduced the deficit either side of half-time after Montauban prop Nick Adams was yellow-carded.
Bobo brought Newcastle back into the tie when he raced through on 64 minutes but the Falcons failed to repeat the score in a tense climax which saw Mathieu Belie and Danny Williams sin-binned late on.
