Gloucester boss Dean Ryan admitted the Guinness Premiership leaders allowed Worcester a chance to ''mug'' his team following a dramatic finale at Sixways.

Worcester set a new club record in the Premiership of four games unbeaten after former Gloucester player Thinus Delport scored a last-gasp try.

Delport's touchdown - it arrived with less than a minute left on the countdown clock - saw Warriors claim their first victory over Gloucester in all competitions at the 10th attempt.

Gloucester though, despite the 17-14 reversal, reclaimed top spot above Bath courtesy of a losing bonus point.

But that provided scant consolation for Ryan, who said: ''We left the opportunity out there for them to mug us.

''We had every opportunity to have managed the game, but we just didn't do it.

''We ended the first half on top, then we failed to manage the game. We are not playing with as much fluency as we would like.''

It was Gloucester's sixth successive away defeat in all competitions, and hardly the result they wanted heading into next Saturday's Heineken Cup quarter-final showdown against Munster at Kingsholm.

England wing Lesley Vainikolo's first-half try looked to have stirred Gloucester into action after they trailed 12-0 to early Worcester touchdowns by centre Sam Tuitupou and wing Miles Benjamin.

Scrum-half Rory Lawson then pounced to inch Gloucester ahead by the break, and Worcester were left frustrated until Delport struck by grasping Benjamin's overhead pass with the final move of the game.

The Warriors, who saw wing Marcel Garvey carried off and taken to hospital after he bravely tried to halt juggernaut Vainikolo's touchline rampage, struggled to regain the upper hand following that injury setback.

But Worcester are now 14 points clear of bottom club Leeds Carnegie, entering the final four games in their Premiership campaign.

Garvey was carried off after a six-minute delay while he received treatment on the pitch, and then taken to hospital.

Worcester head coach Clive Griffiths said: ''Marcel has gone to hospital as a precaution.

''I think it is a bit of whiplash, and we just need to get him checked out. I think he will remember his clash with Lesley.''

The Warriors completed a memorable month, taking Gloucester's scalp following victories over Sale Sharks and Leicester, plus a draw with Leeds.

And Griffiths added: ''We set out to create a bit of history, having never beaten Gloucester before. Making history had been our theme all week.

''The month of March has been very good to us with three wins and a draw. We just needed to hang in there, and that half-chance came at the end.

''We have beaten Sale, Leicester and Gloucester this month. There is a great cohesiveness and things have come to fruition - I think we have got more of an all-round game now.''