WORCESTER Warriors salvaged a late bonus point tonight as they went down 27-20 to Oyonnax at a freezing, snowy Stade Charles-Mathon in the European Challenge Cup.

Sam Olver and Julien Audy exchanged early penalties before a Joe Taufete’e yellow card allowed Vincent Lasmarrigues and Audy to cross the whitewash while Warriors were down to 14 men.

And an Audy penalty on the stroke of half-time gave the hosts a healthy 20-3 lead.

Warriors soon bounced back with an Olver penalty before the fly-half converted his own try but Valentin Ursache immediately responded by bashing over from the restart.

Alafoti Faosiliva then showed tremendous power and pace to score and an Olver conversion had Warriors within seven points.

Despite their efforts to try to recover a draw, Oyonnax had the last chance with a penalty but Anthony Fuertes’ kick dropped wide of the upright to leave Warriors with a point.

Oyonnax enjoyed the early pressure and territory and scrum-half Audy looked to get them moving as they tried to penetrate the Worcester backline.

And he should have opened the scoring on nine minutes only to see his penalty effort drift wide.

It was very much a kicking battle for most of the opening period as both teams looked to exert pressure by booting downfield for territory and it soon paid off for Warriors as a deep kick gave Oyonnax a line-out under pressure five metres out which the visitors ultimately turned over.

And from that attack Warriors won a penalty allowing Olver to slot the first points of the night.

Oyonnax looked for an immediate reply but Warriors defended valiantly by their line to deny them.

However, the visitors were soon pinged off a line-out and Audy did hit the target this time to level the scores.

Warriors were then reduced to 14 men when Taufete’e was sin-binned for a tip-tackle and the hosts made the extra man count by creating space out wide for Lasmarrigues to touch down and Audy added the extras.

Audy then scored a solo try down the left as he chipped and chased for the line and a fortunate bounce went over Max Stelling’s head and into the grateful hands of the number nine who dotted down before converting once again.

The Oyonnax scrum-half then landed a penalty to put his side 20-3 ahead at the break, leaving Carl Hogg’s men with a mountain to climb in the French Alps in the second period.

Warriors came out firing and soon had a chance to reduce the deficit and Olver did just that with a penalty 40 metres out in the heavy snow.

He then had a pop from the halfway line only to see his effort fall just wide.

Oyonnax then almost had a third try when prop Irakli Mirtskhulava broke through but Olver produced a stunning tackle on the giant forward and the ball was lost forward.

And Warriors almost punished them immediately when getting into the 22 before knocking on at the crucial stage.

However, the visitors did get their score when Olver showed a dummy to dive over and converted to bring his side within seven.

But straight from the restart Oyonnax replacement lock Ursache powered over.

The snow was beating down as Warriors chased the game but they got another try courtesy of Faosiliva who ran a superb line before being shoved over for the final stretch and Olver converted to make it 27-20.

However, despite their best efforts to salvage an unlikely draw Oyonnax looked as if they were going to leave Warriors empty-handed as they went for goal at the death.

But despite Fuertes eating up time the number 10 missed the kick and so it meant Hogg’s side came away with a vital bonus point.

The point could prove handy in January as Warriors tackle Connacht and Brive as they look for a place in the knockout stages.

Warriors: Howard; Howe (Haupt 30-34), Pennell (Adams 59), Stelling, Humphreys (Shillcock 78); Olver, Dowsett (Baldwin 52); Bower (Milasinovich 68), Taufete’e (Haupt 52), Kerrod (Alo 62), Phillips, Barry (Faosiliva 14-23), Taylor (Faosiliva 68), Durutalo (Williams 68), Denton.