Warriors paid a heavy price for poor discipline with a heavy defeat against one of the Gallagher Premiership’s form teams at the Brentford Community Stadium.
Warriors knew that they would need to take their own chances and minimise the chances Irish had to score at the other end.
But a heavy penalty count, particularly in the first-half, meant that it was impossible to build a platform for victory and an afternoon of hard and unrewarding toil was the result as Irish ran in seven tries.
To make matters worse Duhan van der Merwe was sent off seven minutes into the second half for making contact with the head of his opposite number Kyle Rowe.
Van der Merwe clearly intended to hand off the smaller Rowe but ended up making accidental contact with his arm and referee Jack Makepeace went straight for the red card after he had viewed numerous replays.
By the time van der Merwe departed, Irish had already secured the try bonus point and a likely win for the Exiles became an inevitability.
A try in each half from Noah Heward, which made it three in two games for the full-back, provided Warriors with crumbs of comfort along with Willi Heinz’s return to action after five months out and a Premiership debut for Jack Forsythe, who came off the bench in the second-half.
But otherwise it was a disappointing afternoon as Warriors struggled to get a toehold in the game and Irish were able to apply heavy pressure.
Warriors should have taken the lead after four minutes but Billy Searle scuffed his penalty attempt and instead it was former Warriors hooker Agustin Creevy who first on the scoresheet when he was driven over for the opening try from a lineout.
Paddy Jackson was unable to add the conversion into a swirling wind but Warriors responded with a neat break from Searle which opened up the defence only for Irish to reorganise and snuff out the opportunity.
Instead it was Irish who extended their lead after Warriors were reduced to 14 men by the sin-binning of Christian Judge after Warriors were penalised several times in quick succession.
Left wing Lucio Cinti went over while a penalty advantage was being played but Jackson again missed his conversion and, despite their scrum difficulties, Warriors were still in the game.
But a try from Juan Martin Gonzalez and a conversion from Jackson put Irish firmly in control although Warriors pulled back a score in first-half injury time when Heward crossed to round off a period of sustained pressure.
That score gave Warriors a glimmer of hope but it did not last for long as Curtis Rona opened up the defence with powerful run and Creevy went over from close range for his second try.
Rona scored himself shortly after van der Merwe departed and he was followed over by Jackson then replacement scrum-half Ben White.
Warriors kept going to the end and Heward’s second try was no more than deserved but of no consolation.
Warriors | 15 Noah Heward, 14 Perry Humphreys, 13 Seb Atkinson, 12 Ashley Beck (Hearle 68), 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Billy Searle (Smith 51), 9 Willi Heinz (Simpson 51), 1 Ethan Waller (Owen 58), 2 Isaac Miller (58), 3 Christian Judge (Owlett 68), 4 Andrew Kitchener (Kvesic 10) (Owlett 25-35), 5 Justin Clegg, 6 Joe Batley, 7 Ted Hill (C), 8 Sione Vailanu (Forsythe 58).
Replacements | 16 Beck Cutting, 17 Kai Owen, 18 Jack Owlett, 19 Jack Forsythe, 20 Matt Kvesic, 21 Gareth Simpson, 22 Fin Smith, 23 Alex Hearle.
Timeline
11m | Creevy try 5-0
26m | Cinti try 10-0
38m | Gonzalez try 15-0
39m | Jackson con 17-0
40m | Heward try 17-5
42m | Creevy try 22-5
43m | Jackson con 24-5
49m | Rona try 29-5
50m | Jackson con 31-5
57m | Jackson try 36-5
58m | Jackson con 38-5
72m | White try 43-5
76m | Heward try 43-10
77m | Smith con 43-12