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Sale saw their Heineken Cup campaign effectively ended at Heywood Road as a Llanelli side packed full of Welsh internationals clinched a thrilling victory.

The Sharks entered the interval 19-15 up after a highly entertaining first half, which brought five tries and two red cards.

But Llanelli then stepped up a gear and Sale found themselves out-gunned up front.

Scoring details:

Sale (19) 19: Tries: Cueto, Thorp, Going. Cons: Baxendell 2. Llanelli (15) 30: Tries: Quinnell, McBryde, G Evans, Madden. Cons: S Jones 2. Pens: S Jones 2. Att: 5,700

Llanelli kept the home side penned deep in their own half for virtually the entire 40 minutes and reaped the reward of their sustained pressure with tries from Garan Evans and Martyn Madden.

Sale were by no means poor - but the Scarlets were in imperious form.

Racing out of the blocks, they scored through Scott Quinnell and Robin McBryde.

But tries from Mark Cueto, Jim Thorp and Vaughan Going saw the Sharks enter half-time in credit.

Llanelli crossed for the first try of the evening after only 94 seconds.

Stephen Jones ran crossfield before feeding Quinnell, who dived over.

Wales fly-half Jones converted and the visitors' pressure paid further dividends when McBryde barged his way over.

Llanelli were rampant, but Sale showed their determination by striking back with two tries in eight minutes either side of a Jones penalty.

Cueto showed good skill in a tight space to cross the whitewash, with Jos Baxendell adding the conversion.

Then in the 25th minute prop Thorp rounded off some sustained pressure from his fellow forwards to touch down in the left corner.

Red cards were a bit harsh, but the referee had to take some action Jim Mallinder Sale coach

A large brawl broke out in the 30th minute with French referee Joel Jutge brandishing red cards to Sales' Iain Fullarton and Llanelli's Dafydd Jones.

Sale coach Jim Mallinder refused to condemn the referee.

"You couldn't really see what started the fight - something started it but you just can't tell," said Mallinder.

"(Sale lock) Chris Jones did get flattened but you can't see who did it.

"The reason the referee picked those players out was because they were on the floor at the end of the fight.

"In my opinion red cards were a bit harsh, but he had to take some action - it was a big brawl and you can't let that go unpunished."

However, Fullarton and Jones escaped any further punishment and will be free to play in the return match at Stradey Park on Friday 13 December.

A disciplinary hearing, conducted by match commissioner Brian Baister after the match, ruled that the sendings-off were sufficient punishment.

The Sharks were stronger as half-time approached and a powerful charge from Chris Jones saw the ball fed to Going who scampered over.

But the second half belonged to the Welshmen, as they became only the second side to win at Heywood Road this season.

Sale: V Going; M Cueto, J Robinson, G Bond, S Hanley; J Baxendell, B Redpath (capt); K Yates, C Marais, S Turner, C Jones, D Schofield, A Perelini, S Pinkerton, P Anglesea.
Reps: J Roddam, J Thorp, B Stewart, I Fullarton, R Wilks, R Wigglesworth, D Harris.

Llanelli: G Evans, M Jones, M Watkins, L Davies (capt), S Finau, S Jones, D Peel, I Thomas, R McBryde, M Madden, V Cooper, C Wyatt, S Easterby, S Quinnell, D Jones.
Reps: J Davies, P John, L Gross, D Hodges, G Easterby, G Bowen, B Davies.

Ref: Joel Jutge (France).