George Ford kicks late penalty as Sale beat Bath to extend lead at the top of Gallagher Premiership

George Ford kicked a late penalty to send Sale Sharks top of the Gallagher Premiership

George Ford kicked a late penalty as Sale extended their lead at the top of the Gallagher Premiership to five points with a 11-9 win against Bath in a top-of-the-table clash.

The England international landed a mid-range penalty with just seven minutes to go as the Sharks eventually broke down a stubborn Bath team to secure their sixth win of the season.

• Stream all your favourite sports and more with NOW I Get Sky Sports
• England captain Owen Farrell admits World Cup exit was 'tough' to take
• Tom Curry ruled out of Six Nations with season-threatening hip injury

Sharks' Jonny Hill scored the only try of a tight game at Salford Stadium, however three penalties from Finn Russell looked to nick the points for Bath in an attritional affair.

The visitors' defence almost did enough to bag what would have been a fine away win, with a superb 10-minute defensive stand inside their own 22 the highlight, before Ford stepped up to clinch a Sale win.

Bath started strongly and Sale's lack of discipline cost them too many penalties, which Russell feasted on.

The Scotland international was subdued with ball-in-hand on a night where kicking was king, but he was excellent from the tee and punished three Sale errors in the first half.

The hosts appeared to be winning the territory battle and made a crucial breakthrough after bagging a penalty at the scrum and going for the corner.

At the second lineout attempt, the maul was set and Hill broke off to power over the line, leaving the half-time score with Bath leading 9-5.

After the break, Sale got off to a cracking start as they turned the screw, Gus Warr threaded a smart kick in behind the Bath defence and into touch.

Luke Cowan-Dickie performed a jackal over the ball to win a penalty for not releasing and Ford stepped up to knock over the penalty kick - closing the gap to a single point.

Sale's backs struggled to penetrate the visiting defence and so they relied on Ford's kicking game for territory. But Russell was as equally street-smart and kept Bath out of harm's way in a match for the purist.

Bath introduced a series of super substitutes as head coach Johann Van Graan released a trio of top-class internationals from his bench in hooker Tom Dunn, scrum-half Ben Spencer and centre Cam Redpath in an attempt to swing the momentum back into their favour.

But in the final few minutes, Ford stepped up and knocked over the 37m effort from just to the right of the uprights for Sharks to go ahead and win on home ground.

Bath attempted to wrestle back the lead but Sale kept them at arm's length, with Ford cleverly kicking the ball downfield and masterminding the hosts' defence.

Saints edge Quins in thriller

In Friday's other match, winger Ollie Sleightholme put his long-term injury troubles behind him by scoring two tries in Northampton's free-scoring 36-33 victory over Harlequins at Franklin's Gardens.

The clash between two of the Premiership's most attack-minded teams lived up to the billing, with both scoring five tries, but it was Saints who were able to bounce back from defeat at Leicester last week and inflict a second straight loss on Quins.

Lewis Ludlam, Alex Mitchell and Alex Coles also crossed for the hosts as Sleightholme started and ended their try haul.

Quins had scored the opening try of the game through wing Cadan Murley before Jack Walker, lock George Hammond and Will Evans kept them in the game.

But it needed Nathan Jibulu's late try to earn the visitors a losing bonus point which kept the game in the balance before Northampton ultimately edged the match by three points.

Stream all your favourite sports and more with NOW