Sale booked a place in the Parker Pen Shield semi-finals with a narrow victory over Bristol at Heywood Road.

The lead changed hands four times before Scotland international Bryan Redpath crossed in the corner to give Sale the lead they never relinquinshed.

Sharks coach Jim Mallender played England full-back Jason Robinson at outside centre.

He took just three minutes for Robinson to make a telling contribution.

He sliced through the Bristol defence before handing onto full-back Vaughan Going to crash over.

A Charlie Hodgson penalty gave Sale and 8-0 lead before Bristol fly-half Felipe Contepomi landed two penalties.

Bristol wing Phil Christophers regathered a kick downfield to run under the posts unopposed for a try easily converted by Contepomi.

Almost immediately Sale hit back through former England wing Steve Hanley to restore the lead with a converted try.

At half-time the hosts led 15-13.

Shortly after the break Agustin Pichot worked an opening and Contepomi darted under the posts as Bristol regain the lead.

But Sale hit back when Redpath peeled off a maul to score in the corner.

Hodgson made no mistake with the conversion and then landed a 63rd-minute penalty to give Sale victory and, after Kevin Yates and Bristol's Craig Short had been sin-binned late on, a place in the semi-finals.

Sale: Cueto, Robinson, Deane, Hanley, Hodgson, Redpath, Yates, Titterrell, Turner, Fullarton, Lines, Perelini, Pinkerton, A. Sanderson, Going.
Replacements: Dickens, Baxendell, Elliott, C. Jones, Giacheri, Black, C. Marais.
Bristol: Carrington, Nabaro, Higgins, Little, Christophers, Contepomi, Pichot, Johnstone, McCarthy, White, Archer, A. Brown, Sheridan, Short, Salter.
Replacements: Roland, Crompton, Sturnham, Lipman, Blake, Drahm, Daniel.
Referee: Daniel Gillet (France)