WHATEVER else they achieve this season, Sale Sharks have already created their own welcome slice of history.

Not only did yesterday's narrow but priceless win at Newcastle Falcons get their Guinness Premiership campaign off to the perfect start, it also registered Sale's first victory in 17 attempts at the imposing Kingston Park Fortress.

It wasn't pretty, and at times it certainly wasn't clever, but the Sharks demonstrated they can marry guts and determination alongside their starry cast list as they withstood a second-half Falcons' fightback.

Charlie Hodgson's early try, which was book-ended by three Luke McAlister penalties, proved enough of a buffer to counter a nine-point individual haul by rookie Falcons fly-half Rory Clegg.

No wonder then that afterwards, Sale's director of rugby, Philippe Saint-Andre, wore the look of a happy, if relieved man. "I am pleased for the guys and the club. There were a lot of fans this week asking us to break the record," Saint-Andre revealed.

"So I think it was a good performance for us to win and I felt that we looked dangerous whenever we kept the ball.

"Once we got in front we played for field positions a lot, but I think our defence was good and was very well structured. It's a very good feeling to win here, it's always been tough to play at Kingston Park so it's a very pleasing way for us to start the season." In truth, Saint-Andre will probably realise his players are capable of much better than the offering they served up on a pudding of a pitch, although that was hardly surprising given the floods that have afflicted other parts of northern England.

Switched

But amid the often scrappy, broken passages of play, there were still fleeting signs to whet the appetite.

Mathew Tait, on his eagerly awaited return to his old Newcastle stamping ground, showed his great versatility, starting out at full-back before then being switched to the centre.

And he was only denied a spectacular first half try by a last gasp tackle by Falcons winger Tom May.

And while fellow debutant scrum-half Dwayne Peel and winger David Doherty both put in solid, if unspectacular opening displays, fellow new recruit Luke Abraham provided plenty of rocket fuel up front to such an extent that he was, somewhat harshly, sin-binned for a deemed late tackle on Clegg, who was deputising for the injured Jonny Wilkinson.

Despite scoring nine points, Clegg's raw youth revealed itself at crucial stages via a series of misplaced passes and wayward kicking.

In sharp contrast, Sharks' counterpart Hodgson, showed all his worldly knowledge and eye for a half chance when jinking past the Newcastle backline to register a superb 13th-minute try.

McAlister, who was handed kicking duties for the day, added two first half penalties, countered by a Clegg brace to give Sale a deserved 11-6 half-time lead. But despite the advantage of a strong breeze, with the exception of McAlister's 49th minute penalty, Sale struggled to impose themselves after the break. And when Clegg's 62nd minute drop goal was followed 60 seconds later by Abraham's yellow card the spectre of the Kingston Park curse loomed large once again.

Fluffed

However, Sale's defence - marshalled magnificently by captain courageous Juan Lobbe - stood firm and was further aided by a fluffed Clegg penalty 13 minutes from time.

The relief among players and travelling supporters on the final whistle was palpable.

Now the Sharks must aim to build on this encouraging start at Edgeley Park on Friday when Saracens come to town.