Amlin Challenge Cup Friday Round Up

Mike Ruddock's team reached the semi-finals of last year's competition but a second defeat in the space of a week to the unfancied Irish province look to have ended their interest in Europe this season.

Worcester travelled to the Galway Sportsground desperate to turn around their surprise 26-21 loss at home to the Magners League basement club.

Full-back Chris Pennell gave them the perfect start when he scored the game's first try on 24 minutes, converted by outside-half Matthew Jones.

However on a cold and blustery night on the east coast of Ireland, it was the home team who mastered the conditions to lead 8-7 at the break through the boot of fly-half 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 ten 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.

In the other match of the evening, Newcastle Falcons suffered their first defeat in Pool Five after losing 24-19 to Montauban.

Outside-half Jimmy Gopperth kicked 14 points including the conversion of Gcobani's second-half try.

That was not enough to overcome tries by Gregory Argenese and Adrien Figueiredo in either half, though 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 that saw Mathieu Belie and Danny Williams sin binned late on.