Quins spoil Stradey farewell

Harlequins overcame a shocking start to spoil Stradey Park's European swansong with a strunning 29-22 victory over the Scarlets.

Chris Malone kicked 19 points and set up a crucial try for Ugo Monye as the Guinness Premiership outfit produced a sensational second-half comeback.

Scrum-half Danny Care also crossed as Quins lived up to their Jekyll and Hyde billing with a performance of wildly contrasting halves.

The Scarlets had come roaring out the blocks with two tries in the opening eight minutes as they built up a commanding 19-3 lead by the interval.

Sensational start

They broke the deadlock in the opening minute, charging forward to win the ball deep in their opponents' territory before moving it out wide for Morgan Stoddart to cross.

The full-back shrugged off some weak tackling to get the home side off to a sensational start that got even better when Mark Jones soon scored in the same corner.

Although Stephen Jones failed to add either conversion attempt he was on target with three first-half penalties which built up a 16-point cushion.

All Quins had on the scoreboard was a Malone penalty, the fly-half making a mess of a second chance to add three points when he pushed a straightforward effort wide.

Had it not been for some superb last-ditch defending from both Gonzalo Tiesi and Mike Brown, who somehow caught winger Darren Daniel and bundled him into touch, the deficit would have been even greater.

However, Harlequins know all too well that games are not won and lost on 40-minute performances, something they learned the hard way recently when they blew a 20-3 lead against London Irish.

Trusty boot

This time the boot was on the other foot as Malone's kicking moved them within touching distance, the fly-half certainly rewarding Dean Richards' decision to select him ahead of Fijian Waisea Luveniyali.

His pair of penalties at the start of the second half began to turn the tide and although Jones replied with three points of his own, the hosts were now stuck on the back foot.

Care's quick thinking from a penalty saw him tap the ball and dive over the line, the successful conversion making it 22-16 and all-of-a sudden the home fans feared their final Euro hurrah before they head to a new home would suffer a sour finish.

The crucial moment in the game came with an hour gone, French referee Christophe Berdos deciding to sin-bin Scarlets hooker Matthew Rees for lifting in the tackle.

Malone slotted over the resulting penalty and then with the opponents down a man, produced a moment of magic that decided the match in Quins' favour.

The number 10's wonderfully-weighted kick over to the left wing caught the Scarlets defence on their heels and allowed winger Ugo Monye to roar through, claim the ball without breaking stride and gallop in under the posts.

The score put the away side in front for the first time and they sealed a stunning result when fittingly Malone kicked a late, late penalty. They had scored 26 points to just three in reply since half time to clinch a first Heineken Cup win since 2002.