SHARKS dug deep to pick up only their second Guinness Premiership victory in seven attempts when third-placed Gloucester were beaten with a last-gasp penalty.

The home side desperately needed to get their league form back on the road, having won just one game since beating Wasps on November 3.

Gloucester were in command early on and went ahead when newly-named England Saxons fly-half Ryan Lamb booted a straightforward 22 metre penalty between the posts.

And it got worse for Sale when flanker Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe was sin-binned inside his own 22 for Lamb to add a second penalty.

But that sparked 14-man Sale into action at last and saw fly-half David Blair claw back three points with the boot.

Blair missed a chance to draw level before big number eight Sebastian Chabal hit England wing Iain Balshaw into touch on halfway and Lamb's third penalty restored the six-point gap.

The champions were not out of it as a combination of Mike Tindall and Balshaw stopped wing Chris Mayor from going over, while flanker Magnus Lund made a powerful break down the right.

Blair, who is Sale's fourth fly half so far this season after Charlie Hodgson, Daniel Larrechea and Lee Thomas was injured and replaced after 38 minutes with Richard Wigglesworth switching from his usual scrum half role.

Gloucester inflicted a hammer blow on the home side right on half-time when Tindall fed Balshaw on halfway and the wing booted the ball towards the Sale in-goal area.

Full-back Larrechea fumbled and James Simpson-Daniel was right there to touch down.

Lamb's conversion put Gloucester 16-3 up at the interval and Sale were in trouble again.

It did not go right either when Chris Mayor sprinted down the left on the restart and scrum-half Rory Lawson dived in front of him, preventing a certain try but escaping punishment.

There was hope of a home victory, though, when prop Christian Califano was binned minutes after entering the fray for coming into a ruck on the wrong side.

Sale powered to the visitors' line, replacement scrum-half Sililo Martens fed Richard Wigglesworth who sent centre Chris Bell in from 10 metres, Wigglesworth adding the conversion.

Lamb booted another penalty to put his team nine points to the good but again a powerful forward effort brought the Sharks close when replacement prop Sebastien Bruno emerged from a pile of bodies with the ball and Wigglesworth's conversion brought fresh hope.

And that victory finally came when Gloucester went offside in injury time for Wigglesworth to hold his nerve and land a penalty from 22 metres.

However, their injury problems refuse to go away as Chabal is believed to have a thigh problem while Blair, who took a knee to the ribs before half-time, is now the third Sale number 10 on the sidelines.

And hooker Andy Titterrell could also have a thumb injury.

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