Vital win for Sharks
Sale earned a vital 15-12 Aviva Premiership victory over Leeds on Friday night with Charlie Hodgson kicking all of the Sharks' points.
Last Updated: 25/03/11 10:25pm
Sale earned a vital 15-12 Aviva Premiership victory over Leeds on Friday night with Charlie Hodgson kicking all of the Sharks' points.
The fly-half landed five penalties from as many attempts to settle a tight match in which Neil Back's side fully played their part.
Leeds might be the Premiership's basement club but they were the try-scorers at Edgeley Park, with first Henry Fa'afili and then Michael Stephenson touching down well-worked efforts.
Indeed, the visitors were largely dominant up front in the opening half. And yet they still succumbed as Hodgson followed up three first-half penalties with two more in the second.
Crucially, Hodgson's accuracy with the boot was not matched by opposite number Adrian Jarvis, who missed three penalties in the opening 40 minutes.
Two of those attempts rebounded somewhat cruelly off a post and Jarvis also failed to convert Stephenson's late try.
The defeat was Leeds' 15th in 17 matches, although the bonus point they earned at least offers a glimmer of hope in their attempts to escape the relegation trapdoor.
Hodgson put Sale ahead after three minutes but Leeds' response was impressive as they put together phases deep inside their opponents' 22.
Flowing
They worked the ball from left to right and Daniel Browne, Phil Swainston and Scott Mathie were all involved in a flowing move which culminated in Fa'afili crossing in the corner.
Jarvis added the extras and Leeds then showed determination in defence when Stephenson produced a superb cover tackle to deny Ben Cohen.
A sign that it might not be the visitors' evening followed in the 18th minute when a penalty from Jarvis rebounded off the post.
Tensions bubbled to the surface midway through the half when England hooker Steve Thompson and opposite number Neil Briggs squared up, although no punches were exchanged.
The difference between the two sides was then illustrated amply, with Hodgson kicking a huge penalty from inside his own half in the 24th minute, moments before Jarvis's effort again hit the woodwork.
Sale began to make inroads and although Leeds' defence did well to keep them at bay, Hodgson's third penalty in the 37th minute put the hosts 9-7 ahead at the break.
Leeds centre Luther Burrell, who is set to join Sale at the end of the season, went close three minutes after the restart.
However, Hodgson then kicked his fourth penalty to increase Sale's lead, which he stretched further with another in the 55th minute.
Sustained
Although Sale had increasingly dominated up to that point, their opponents did then enjoy a period of sustained pressure.
They struggled to make it pay, though, until Stephenson finished off a break in the left corner with three minutes remaining.
Although Jarvis missed the conversion, Leeds deservedly went home with a losing bonus point.
