LV= Cup: Rob Miller grabs late victory for Sale Sharks over Saracens
A late penalty from Rob Miller earned Sale a 25-23 victory over Saracens, just the Sharks' third win this season.
Last Updated: 16/11/12 10:30pm
Tries by Kameli Ratuvou and Joel Tomkins to go alongside 10 points from the boot of Nils Mordt gave Sarries a 20-12 half-time advantage, with Sale's response before the interval coming through Mark Cueto's score and a penalty try.
A Fraser McKenzie touchdown and a Danny Cipriani penalty took the Sharks into the lead before Ben Spencer's three-pointer edged the visitors ahead again, but Miller slotted a late penalty to earn the victory for the hosts.
Cipriani showed his quality from the off when a superb cut-out pass put Corne Uys in space. The centre then produced a similarly sublime piece of skill to send Cueto away in the corner unopposed.
Jordan Davies missed the conversion and two scores in as many minutes put the visitors in front.
Firstly, Mordt slotted a penalty when Sale were penalised for holding on, before a length-of-the-field move ended in Ratuvou touching down.
The Sharks went up the other end and scored when referee Llyr ApGeraint Roberts awarded a penalty try for collapsing a maul.
But Saracens always looked dangerous with ball in hand. Another Ransom break set up a penalty opportunity which Mordt duly converted to take it to 13-12 in the visitors' favour.
Sarries full-back Ransom then rounded off an outstanding individual performance in the first half as a third menacing run allowed Tomkins to cross the whitewash, with Mordt adding the extras from out wide.
Eoin Sheriff offered the hosts hope after he was sin-binned for repeated team infringements and Sale took advantage of the extra man as McKenzie evaded two weak tackles to go over, Davies converting.
Cipriani and Spencer then traded three-pointers as Sarries held a one-point lead going into the closing stages, before Miller's late effort from the tee gave the Sharks victory.
