DIRECTOR of rugby Alan Solomons was in jubilant mood after his Worcester Warriors side claimed a last-gasp 31-29 victory over Saracens in a “heart-stopping” Gallagher Premiership finale at Sixways.

With no time left on the clock Duncan Weir slotted home a 35-metre penalty to see Warriors edge recently-crowned European champions in the most dramatic fashion.

Warriors faced an eight-point deficit going into the final five minutes before Weir converted Josh Adams’ try to set up a thrilling finish.

Solomons then thought his side had missed their chance of victory when Weir knocked on with seconds remaining and Sarries holding a slender one-point lead.

However in a late twist a powerful scrum against the head resulted in a penalty to Warriors and Weir held his nerve from the tee.

“It was a fantastic way to finish,” said Solomons whose team accumulated 46 points – one point off the club’s highest tally in the Premiership.

“It was a heart-stopping end.

“I thought the chance had gone when Duncan hesitated and lost the ball in contact. It was their scrum and they just had to kick it out.

“But we scrummaged magnificently and we got the penalty. Full marks to Duncan. That was one hell of a kick.”

Weir missed a last-gasp drop goal in Warriors’ opening day defeat to Wasps but his accuracy from the tee has been key to keeping Solomons’ men in the top-flight.

“A drop goal is a bit more difficult when under pressure but he pulled one back for that,” Solomons said.

“Throughout the season he has kicked and played really well.

“You have got to have a reliable goal-kicker and he is just that.”

Sarries fielded a side that featured just two players from the star-studded team that beat Leinster in the European Champions Cup final last weekend.

But they led 16-14 at half-time thanks to a Nick Tompkins try and 11 points from the boot of Tom Whiteley.

He added eight further points in the second half while Marcelo Bosch also crossed on the hour mark.

But Warriors whose first-half tries came from Michael Fatialofa and Chris Pennell refused to give in as Ted Hill and Adams went over to seal the four-try bonus point.

“It was a pretty tight game that could have gone either way,” Solomons said.

“They are a very strong club. They didn’t have their strongest side out but they have got really good players.

“I think we gifted them 10 points from the set-piece play that went astray and they scored under the posts and the one kick-off that went over Michael’s head, we didn’t pick it up which we should have and they got a penalty off that.

“We just needed to be a little bit more patient on the ball and with the kicking the game.”

The match was also an emotional occasion as centre Wynand Olivier brought down the curtain on his career and long-serving scrum-half Jonny Arr ran out at Sixways for the final time.

“The players are over the moon - what a way to finish,” Solomons added.

“When I spoke to the lads before the game I said we have got two objectives here.

“We wanted to finish the season on a good note so we can go into the off-season in a positive frame of mind and we needed to bid farewell to the departing players in the right way.

“The only way we could do that was to have a really good performance.

“I felt that the emotion would be there which is critical. That’s the fuel of rugby. Then we had to play well.”