PLYMOUTH Albion fly-half Alex Davies felt the team regained some respect on Saturday with their performance against Worcester Warriors at Brickfields.

Albion, who had been crushed 51-3 on the opening day of the season at Bedford, came close to causing a major shock in their second Championship match of the season.

They led Worcester for nearly 60 minutes and in the end the former Premiership side needed the boot of England fly-half Andy Goode to secure them a narrow 26-19.

Albion did earn themselves a valuable bonus point for finishing within seven points of their opponents and also denied their visitors a try-scoring one.

But Davies, who scored all Albion 19 points with a try, a conversion and four penalties, admitted the team felt they could have had more than just

one point.

"We did really well getting a bonus from a team that has just come down from the Premiership," said the fly-half.

"But at the same time we know we could have taken them.

"We all believed we could do that right from the start of the game.

"There was a real buzz in the changing room and we all believed we were going to win."

He added: "It was a much better performance than the previous week, which is what we were all looking for.

"It was a tough week after what happened at Bedford.

"That defeat was tough to take.

"But I think on Saturday we got a lot of respect back in the league."

The size of Albion's defeat at Bedford left them slumped at the bottom of the team.

And even though it was only after one game, Davies said the players did not like it.

"Nobody likes sitting bottom of the table and we came out fighting," said the 24-year-old Liverpool-born player.

"I think that showed in our performance."

Davies may have scored all Albion's points but he insisted it was a team effort.

"As a team we really fronted up, especially the forwards" he said. "It was the type of performance we should be producing.

"I felt the forwards did really well. They put a lot of hard work in for me to get into positions to take the penalties."

Davies got Albion off to the perfect start with a try after just three minutes, which he also converted.

"I don't really cross the whitewash that much, so when it happens it is pretty good," said Davies, who only scored one try last season.

"It was a good feeling.

"And it was a well-worked try. We picked and went and we sucked their defence in and then the ball came out at the right time and I was just there to take advantage of the gap."

Davies was forced to miss Albion's opening match at Bedford as his international clearance had not come through after he had spent the summer playing in New Zealand for Brett McCormack's Green Island side.

"That was frustrating, but these things happen in rugby," he said. "There was nothing I could do about it. All I had to do at Bedford was help the team as much as I could off the pitch. But going to New Zealand was a really good experience and I think it has benefited me a lot."