Murphy breaks Sarries hearts

Leicester celebrate dramatic win

Geordan Murphy landed a dramatic drop-goal four minutes into injury-time to secure Leicester a thrilling 20-19 victory over Saracens at Vicarage Road on Sunday.

The Irish full-back stepped up after the Tigers had skilfully managed to manoeuvre their way towards the Sarries line through countless phases of possession with normal time having elapsed.

It was a breathless finale to an enthralling contest that Saracens appeared to have won thanks to an Alex Goode penalty three minutes from time.

The win not only moves Leicester back up into the top four of the Aviva Premiership, but also snaps a four-game losing streak against Saracens who saw their own 11-match winning streak ended.

The Londoners also surrendered their proud unbeaten home record, their last defeat on home soil having come against Exeter in October 2010.

The visitors endured a far from ideal start to the contest as, inside the first minute, lock Ed Slater was sin-binned after he was adjudged to have intentionally hauled down Sarries number eight Jackson Wray as he rose to take a line-out.

But Saracens were unable to take full advantage of the infringement as Goode missed the straightforward penalty that followed. The full-back was again off target on ten minutes as he saw an effort from longer range come back off an upright after Thomas Waldrom had been penalised for not releasing.

Moments later things got even worse for Goode as he also found himself whistled for failing to release after an enterprising run from deep and Toby Flood punished him by splitting the uprights with his opening kick.

Sustained pressure

Flood then saw another penalty attempt come up short and left of the posts but, on 25 minutes, did find the target from right in front to double the lead after a sustained spell of pressure on the Saracens line.

The hosts responded in impressive fashion with the game's opening try. Neil De Kock was on the shoulder of Schalk Brits after the hooker produced a trademark break and superb one-handed offload to free the scrum-half who finished well despite the best attempts of two Leicester tacklers. Goode added the extras to move his side into a 7-6 lead.

Almost immediately Carlos Nieto was pulled up for coming in at the side of a ruck which allowed Flood to edge the visitors back in front with a well-struck penalty from 40 metres.

Goode did manage to land his first penalty on 35 minutes after Tigers flanker Julian Salvi was pinged, but it was Leicester who headed in at the break with a 12-10 lead after Saracens were adjudged to have collapsed a scrum allowing Flood to strike his fourth penalty of the half.

The hosts were on the board first in the second period with Goode kicking his second penalty after Leicester were caught offside following a rapier Sarries counter-attack.

The full-back added another from out wide shortly afterwards when Tigers prop Marcos Ayerza was pulled up by referee Andrew Small as the hosts moved into a 16-12 lead.

But Leicester battled their way back in front courtesy of a Slater try on 64 minutes. Fine breaks from first Anthony Allen and then Manu Tuilagi took the visitors to within inches of the Saracens line and Slater bulldozed his way over from close range, although the lead remained a precarious one point after Flood missed the conversion.

And it appeared as though it would not be enough after Goode slotted his fourth penalty - which owed much to a clever deep kick and chase from Chris Wyles - to put his side 19-17 ahead with time running out.

But Leicester held their nerve and, after a forceful Tuilagi break from deep inside his own 22 had put them on the front foot, engineered the perfect platform for Murphy make his match-winning contribution.