My last hope was the chemist, and as the clock crawled past 9am I went and picked up some pink chalky stuff called Pepto Bismol. It did the trick and though I wasn't 100 per cent, I'd be off to Worcester.

And though it was one of my easier trips to Worcester off the pitch, non-travelling Newcastle fans should not be sorry they missed this game as we edge ever closer to the relegation zone.

On the pitch, just the norm at my least favourite Premiership ground really, where since Worcester were promoted we've won once and been really competitive one other time (the night of Loki's phantom penalty).

Steve Bates sprung a selection surprise by bringing Adam Balding into the team for the first time in years, through gritted teeth no doubt as we all know (or some think they know) his feelings about Worcester's new signing. Pete Browne and Brent Wilson shuffled around the back row, and Gcobani Bobo switched to the wing due to Charlie Amesbury's injury.

The first half saw both sides enjoy spells of possession. Bobo made a good run down the left but as he was put into touch five metres out, his one-handed pass went forward – the first of numerous knock-ons by the Falcons in the home 22.

Tim Swinson also fumbled with the line beckoning.

Although we were stronger in the lineout, in the scrum the Falcons' pack (and the referee for the most part) had little answer to Worcester and Tevita Taumoepeau in particular. The scrum going backwards put Micky Young under pressure and at one point his opposite number Jonny Arr hacked on and forced Alex Tait to carry over our line and touch down.

The Warriors would have wondered how they came away from a succession of scrums on our line without a try or at least forcing a yellow card, but our dogged defence held out. A shining light on a cold, dark evening, although we were also held up on the right.

In the end, Worcester had to settle for two Willie Walker penalties to give them a 6-0 half-time lead. A third penalty from halfway just failed to get over the bar, while Carl Hayman turned down a number of kickable penalties to keep us playing.

At the break Adam Balding was replaced with Will Welch, but the game descended into a midfield battle with few clear chances. The Falcons had arguably the most dangerous spell early on though, camping on Worcester's line before spreading to the backs, but the move came to nothing.

Jimmy Gopperth took his first place-kick of the night on the hour to try to halve the deficit and at least get us on the scoreboard, but the penalty went wide.

It's times like that when you realise it probably isn't your night.

Coming towards the end of the game, we had a couple of kicks charged down in our 22 and one saw two Worcester players go over the line, but fortunately nowhere near the loose ball.

However, a run up a blind alley in our 22 by Young and then Alex Tait losing possession in contact allowed home replacement Will Bowley to run in unopposed for the only try of the night, which Walker converted.

Their tails up, the Warriors went hunting for another score and would have got it but for a tackle on Miles Benjamin by Brent Wilson and replacement Tom Biggs five metres out.

With us having no chance of winning and little chance of scoring, the game ended in a 13-0 defeat.

Looking at the fixtures we have left and the way the bottom half of the table is tightening up, Heineken Cup qualification now has to be forgotten and we really need to start winning to avoid getting sucked into the relegation battle further. It is mathematically possible (though unlikely looking at the fixtures) that by full-time in our game next week we could be bottom. It's that scary.

The reminder last night that our forwards are not invincible, Micky Young's desperate lack of form and Jimmy Gopperth's inconsistency are all hugely worrying.

The saddest thing is that our team is packed with very good players; the problem is surely at the top. By the end of the season Bates will have had more time than Fletcher but done no better. Whatever happens in the remaining games, we can only hope that Dave Thompson makes the right decision, the only sensible one, in the summer.

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