SALE Sharks' dreams of a second Guinness Premiership title ended in glorious failure at Edgeley Park.

Needing a bonus point win to stand any chance of acheiving a top-four place, Sale fulfilled their side of the bargain with a barnstorming second half display.

But despite tries from Juan Lobbe, Eifion Roberts, Dean Schofield and Mathew Tait, results elsewhere dashed their hopes of a fairytale ending to the season.

However, with so many key personnel bidding a final farewell to Edgeley Park, Sale at least finished in style, finishing fifth in the table and avoiding a repeat of 12 months ago when they fluffed their lines on the last day of the season.

Needing a five point return to stand any chance of a top four finish, the Sharks made their intentions clear from the off by taking every opportunity to run at the visitors.

It was a high-risk strategy but one that garnered a quick return when they gained a vital early score, inspirational skipper Juan Lobbe - one of nine top players leaving the club - crashed over after Sale's pack had bulldozed their way to within five metres of the Saints line.

Sprinkling

But a Northampton side featuring a sprinkling of former Sale stars, showed they hadn't come simply to make up the numbers when fly-half Stephen Myler narrowed the deficit with a penalty.

And they then stunned the hosts and a packed home crowd by storming into a 33rd minute lead when from a stolen line-out flanker Neil Best found a gap in the Sale defence to crash over under the posts, Myler's conversion earning the visitors a 10-5 half-time lead.

However, Sale were boosted by the 38th minute yellow card meted out to Saints full-back Chris Ashton.

And though other scores around the country were going against them, the Sharks stepped up the ante after the break and grabbed two tries within a four minute period.

First man mountain prop Eifion Roberts smashed his way through the opposition ranks on 51 minutes before Sale stalwart Dean Schofield followed suit four minutes later, Hodgson's first conversion of the day making it 17-10.

Myler's second penalty of the game on the hour narrowed the deficit to just three points but though results elsehwere meant Sale's play-off dreams were fading fast, there was no let-up in their resolve.

And they completed their own mission of the afternoon in spectacular style on 70 minutes when a moment of brilliance from England centre Mathew Tait saw him break the line before evading the attention of former Sale favourite Ben Foden to touchdown for the Sharks fourth try, earning them a bonus point into the process, Hodgson again converting.

However, Sean Lamont's 78th minute score on the lft wing for Northampton kept the visitors keen un til the what was for Sale the final whistle on a season rich in promise but ultimately one that was unfulfilled.

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