Leicester Tigers secured a vital Gallagher Premiership victory as they held out for a 19-14 win over Wasps with a huge defensive effort at the end of a gruelling encounter at Welford Road.

Fly-half Joe Ford put in a tremendous performance to get all Leicester's points with a try, four penalties and a conversion, while wing Marcus Watson scored two first-half tries and fly-half Rob Miller converted twice from the touchline for Wasps.

But Wales coach Warren Gatland will have the medics looking at Wasps flanker Thomas Young next week before his team try to take another step towards the Six Nations Grand Slam.

Young looked groggy as he came off just four minutes into the match but the early diagnosis was a bang on his hip rather than anything more serious.

Leicester were always playing catch-up in the first period as Wasps took the lead after eight minutes when Watson scored the first of his opening-half brace.

The try was a simple move along the back division from a ruck inside the Tigers' 22 that saw Miller slide the ball out to full-back Willie Le Roux and send Watson over unopposed in the right corner.

Miller's conversion from the touchline was superb. Leicester tried to hit back but a good attacking position came to nothing when Wasps drove the home pack backwards just five metres from the visiting line.

But when Wasps conceded a penalty, Ford began his points-kicking spree as he landed a simple 20-metre shot when the visitors were caught offside.

Ford, the older brother of England fly-half George, took the Tigers to within a point of their opponents as a deliberate knock-on from centre Juan de Jongh saw the Leicester man slot three points.

But the Tigers' joy turned to frustration on the half-hour and two minutes after Ford's penalty when Watson was allowed some space and scored a magnificent 60-metre touchdown, starting it from his own 10-metre line and finishing in the right corner.

Again, Miller booted another touchline conversion, yet Ford's third penalty on half-time kept the Tigers in touch.

And, after Wasps hooker Tommy Taylor was sin-binned after persistent infringements, Ford was put over by his wing Jonah Holmes. Big screen replays, however, showed Ford dropping the ball as he came under pressure from Jack Willis but ref JP Doyle did not bother TV official Sean Davey to check.

Ford converted and Leicester were in front for the first time and he stretched that lead on 65 minutes when Wasps were penalised for not rolling away from a ruck.

Wasps battered the Tigers line for the last 10 minutes and replacement prop Biyi Alo thought he had the winning try right at the end but the TV official ruled it out to the joy of Leicester's faithful.