Worcester kept their hopes of making the knockout stages of the European Challenge Cup alive with a bonus-point 36-26 win over Zebre in Parma.

Billy Searle got a third for Worcester but Giovanni D'Onofrio pulled one back just before the half-time break.

But tries from Tom Howe and Ted Hill secured victory before Jacopo Trulla and Enrico Lucchin scored for Zebre.

The win - the Warriors' first in the competition this season - moves Worcester above Biarritz into third place in Pool A on nine points having finished their four-game group campaign.

They will qualify for the knockout stages if Biarritz lose at home to group leaders Toulon in their final game in April, although the three-time European champions have already qualified having been awarded a 28-0 win over second-placed Newcastle after their game was cancelled on Friday.

Should Biarritz win Worcester could still qualify as the best fourth-placed finisher, but they would need Saracens to lose at least one of their remaining two games in Pool C and have Pau lose at Edinburgh in the same group in April.

Zebre: Laloifi; D'Onofrio, Cronje, Lucchin, Bellini; O'Malley, Violi; Fischetti, Fabiani, Bello, Sisi, Krumov, Mitchell, Andreani, Giammarioli.

Replacements: Ceciliani, Rimpelli, Zilocchi, Zambonin, Bianchi, Palazzani, Rizzi, Trulla.

Worcester: Doel; Howe, O Morris, Beck (co-capt), Hearle; Searle, Chudley; Waller, Annett (co-capt), McCallum, Clegg, A Kitchener, Kvesic, Lewis, Vailanu.

Replacements: Miller, Owen, Judge, Hatherell, Hill, Simpson, Smith, Johnson.

Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland).