Leicester Tigers produced a gritty second-half defensive performance to conjure a fourth home win of the season as they beat Worcester in a dour Premiership scrap at Welford Road.

In a game of just two tries, visiting winger Perry Humphreys scored with the first of them against his old club.

But Johnny McPhillips landed the first of three penalties, before Tigers led through winger Jordan Olowofela's try.

Duncan Weir's penalty levelled at 8-8 before two more kicks for McPhillips.

The third of those penalties clinched victory late on but it was not enough to prevent Warriors getting a fourth successive losing bonus point - to keep them just ahead of 11th-placed Tigers in the table.

Tigers were berated by their fans for kicking out of the hand too much - but their overall improved showing in the second half on another day of difficult weather conditions was what won them the points.

And, after going ahead again through McPhillips' second penalty, they were closest to scoring a second try. But Olowofela lost the ball over the line - and, after a delayed TMO decision, the try was chalked off.

Worcester had won on both their last two Premiership visits to Welford Road, having never previously won there in over a century of trying.

In fact, Warriors had won the past five meetings between the two clubs in all competitions, but the Tigers did just enough to end that sorry sequence.

Tigers head coach Geordan Murphy told BBC Radio Leicester:

"The conditions were particularly difficult again, although not as wild and windy as in previous weeks.

"A little more rugby was played and, for our second half performance, we deserved it.

"You do the right thing to win. When you're running into a 14-man wall the right thing to do is look for territory behind."

Leicester Tigers: Veainu; Holmes, Worth, Eastmond, Olowofela; Reid, White; Bateman, Kerr, Cole (capt), Lavanini, Wells, Liebenberg, Taufua, Kalamafoni.

Replacements: Polota-Nau, Leatigaga, Heyes, Batley, Reffell, Simmons, McPhillips, Thomas.

Worcester: Shillcock; Humphreys, Lawrence, Mills, David; Weir, Hougaard; Waller, Moulds (capt), Schonert, Bresler, G Kitchener, Hill, Mama, du Preez.

Replacements: Annett, Owen, Palframan, Kitchener, Lewis, Heaney, Lance, van Breda.

Referee: Adam Leal.