Warriors slipped to another defeat on the road as bottom club Newcastle completed the double over them at rainy Kingston Park.
All the points in an error-riddled contest came in the first half and this time there was no second half fightback from Warriors against committed opponents.
All Warriors had to show from a scrappy display were two first half penalties from fly-half Duncan Weir. The second half was scoreless but an improved effort from Warriors was not enough to secure the consolation of a losing bonus point.
The scoreline might have been worse as Newcastle had two tries disallowed in the first half but the result was just as painful for Warriors who saw Newcastle close the gap at the bottom to five points.
Once again Warriors made life difficult for themselves by conceding an early try. Warriors were penalised from a lineout but referee Wayne Barnes played advantage and Newcastle capitalised with right wing Zach Kibirige scooted over for a try that Toby Flood improved.
Duncan Weir trimmed the deficit with a well-struck penalty five minutes later but that was swiftly cancelled out by a penalty from Flood.
It could have been worse for Warriors as prop Logovi’i Mulipola went over from close range but was adjudged off-side and play was brought back for an earlier penalty.
Weir reduced the gap to four points with his second penalty but Newcastle were always a threat in attack and extended their lead when Flood crossed from a five metres scrum and converted his own try.
The game could have been all over by half-time as Kibirige celebrated what he thought was his second try as he followed up his own chip ahead and touched down.
But the referee consulted with the TMO and ruled that Kibirige had dropped the ball before he grounded it and the try was wiped out.
Warriors had another let-off just before the break when Flood pushed a kickable penalty wide of the target which meant Newcastle turned around with an 11 points advantage when it could have been much more.
Despite long periods of pressure in the second half Warriors could not get themselves into try-scoring positions and their handling and lineout work let them down at critical periods.
The last chances to salvage something from the contest disappeared when Jono Lance kicked two penalties to touch on Newcastle’s 22 but Warriors were unable to secure their own lineout ball and Newcastle escaped.
Warriors lost hooker Jack Singleton with a hyper-extended elbow early in the match and Marco Mama with a head injury midway through the second half.
Warriors | 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Bryce Heem, 13 Francois Venter (Lawrence 51), 12 Ryan Mills (C), 11 Tom Howe, 10 Duncan Weir (Lance 51), 9 Francois Hougaard (Heaney 71), 1 Ethan Waller (Black 62), 2 Jack Singleton (Miller 14), 3 Nick Schonert (Milasinovich 62), 4 Anton Bresler, 5 Michael Fatialofa (Phillips 62), 6 Ted Hill, 7 Sam Lewis, 8 Marco Mama (Cox 58).
Replacements | 16 Isaac Miller, 17 Callum Black, 18 Gareth Milasinovich, 19 Pierce Phillips, 20 Matt Cox, 21 Michael Heaney, 22 Jono Lance, 23 Ollie Lawrence.
Timeline
6m | Kibirige try 5-0
7m | Flood con 7-0
11m | Weir pen 7-3
14m | Flood pen 10-3
24m | Weir pen 10-6
33m | Flood try 15-6
34m | Flood con 17-6