SALE Sharks maintained their flying start to the season in magnificent style and in the process created their own little slice of history.

Not only did they record their fourth straight win against the highly-rated West Country visitors and hit the top of the table thanks to London Wasps surprise win at Leicester Tigers, they also posted a new Guinness Premiership record by not conceding a try for the fourth straight game.

Impressive though that record is, it was the imperious manner of their display which will have most heartened director of rugby Philippe Saint-Andre and the Edgeley Park faithful.

Second-half tries by skipper Sebastien Chabal, who led from the front all night, and winger David Doherty were the key to victory and the very least Sale deserved for their efforts.

And if anyone didn’t know it before, the Sharks have now well and truly posted their intentions that they can challenge the best for silverware this term.

Ironically given what was to come, the early skirmishes from both sides were dominated by the boot to such an extent that one could have been forgiven the Edgeley Park faithful were instead watching Stockport County.

As such, the first-half scoring was restricted to two Luke McAlister penalties – the first a monstrous effort from inside Sale’s own half, which were cancelled out by a brace from Gloucester’s close season signing from Bath Olly Barkley.

Despite their fine start to the campaign, some had questioned the Sharks own lack of cutting edge in their first three outings with just one try coming in their opening 240 minutes of rugby.

However, there was more much purpose and aggression to Sale’s play when they did choose to run at the visitors and but for a misplaced pass by full-back for the night Rory Lamont, winger David Doherty would have been in for a deserved 22nd minute score.

And Sale’s frustration wasn’t helped by a series of baffling decisions by referee Andrew Small which appeared loaded in favour of Dean Ryan’s Cherry and Whites.

Skipper for the night Sebastien Chabal – back to his barnstorming best – was less than impressed with several of Small’s decisions and vented his fury in the only way he knows by taking the fight to the visitors.

And it was Captain Caveman himself who finally ended Sale’s try drought, rampaging through the Gloucester defence on 48 minutes to score under the posts, allowing McAlister the easiest of conversions.

But as if to illustrate how difficult Sale tried to make life for director of rugby Philippe Saint-Andre, they immediately conceded the softest of penalties to allow Barkley to reduce the arrears.

And life got even more difficult on 51 minutes when Lamont was harshly sin-binned for a perceived late challenge on James Simpson Daniel – reducing Sale to 14 men at a crucial juncture.

McAlister then missed two penalties of his own which Sale’s increasing dominance more than merited. But when they handed another chance on 63 minutes, Lee Thomas made no mistake with a huge kick, again from inside the Sale half.

And on 69 minutes came a piece of McAlister brilliance as he spilt open the Gloucester defence before feeding Doherty for a magnificent try which Thomas converted to set the seal on a memorable evening which also featured a half-time marriage proposal conducted out in the middle of the pitch.