 | MATCH SUMMARY Gloucester 21 (6)
Tries: Azam, penalty try
Con: Mercier
Pens: Mercier 3 Sale 18 (12)
Tries: Chabal, Cueto
Con: Hodgson
Pens: Larrechea 2 |
Gloucester stole a dramatic Premiership victory over Sale when referee Roy Maybank awarded them a penalty try 10 minutes into second half injury-time. Sharks ended with 13-men and Gloucester laid siege to their opponents' line.
But Maybank proved their match winner by making his last-gasp decision to the annoyance of angry Sale players.
The visitors had been on top thanks to tries from Mark Cueto and Sebastien Chabal, but they wilted under pressure from a physical Gloucester team.
But the hosts had their problems too, England centre Mike Tindall limping off injured 50 minutes into his home league debut and Phil Vickery picking up a yellow card midway through the first half.
Even kicker Ludovic Mercier was below par, landing only four from eight attempts in difficult conditions.
Cueto's 35th-minute score marked his sixth straight game with a try and ensured a 12-6 interval lead for Sale.
But Gloucester narrowed the deficit to a point after half-time when hooker Olivier Azam powered over from close range.
And the hosts were rewarded for a dogged display in the dying moments.
Gloucester head coach Dean Ryan:
"Sale were sharper than us, but we had more power, and the conditions turned it into a power game. "I was very pleased with the way Alex Brown controlled the line-outs at the end. We got our reward in the end.
"You need things to break for you, but when we meet up on Tuesday there will be lots of things for us to work on."
Sale Sharks boss Philippe Saint-Andre:
"I am very disappointed. We were in control of the game, but three or four silly mistakes cost us. "I was disappointed with our line-out during the first 50 minutes.
"The bottom line is we had the chances to win, but our own mistakes cost us. We just needed to alter our game plan."
Gloucester: Goodridge; Foster, Tindall, Paul, Thirlby; Mercier, Thomas; Collazo, Azam, Vickery (capt); Eustace, Brown; Buxton, Hazell, Forrester.
Replacements: Adams for Tindall (49), McRae for Thirlby (80), Powell for Collazo (79), M Davies for Azam (71), Narraway for Buxton (75).
Not Used: Cornwell, Richards.
Sin Bin: Vickery (20)
Sale: Larrechea; Cueto, Taylor, Sevealai'I, Robinson; Hodgson, Courrent; Sheridan, Titterrell, Stewart; Schofield, Fernandez Lobbe; White, C Jones, Chabal.
Replacements: Todd for Seveali'i (61), Bruno for Titterrell (49), Lund for Schofield (67), Anglesea for Chabal (79).
Not Used: Faure, Coutts, Wigglesworth.
Sin Bin: Sheridan (80), Jones (80).
Att: 11,506
Referee: Roy Maybank (Kent).
MMIX
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