Premiership: Sale Sharks 24-17 Saracens

Sale Sharks have not reached the Premiership play-offs since winning the competition in 2006

Sale went second in the Premiership with victory over Saracens, who were without banned captain Owen Farrell.

Matt Postlethwaite and Sarries wing Rotimi Segun traded tries before Sale stamped their authority with Valeri Morozov and Simon Hammersley scores.

Saracens were more competitive after the break, but still toiled on the hosts' line with bodies rapidly tiring.

Segun's second try in overtime earned Sarries a losing bonus point, after a successful penalty apiece.

The Sharks matched the wins for Bristol and Wasps to climb back into a home semi-final slot with just three games left.

Reigning champions Saracens - demoted to the second-tier for next season after repeated salary cap breaches - had their eyes on Europe, with their big stars either in hock for the Champions Cup quarter-final against Leinster on 19 September, or suspended in the case of England captain Farrell.

Sarries put out a largely young side at the AJ Bell Stadium that they are likely to rely on in the Championship next season.

Try-scorer Segun and busy hooker Tom Woolstencroft, who captained the side in Farrell's absence, were among their stand-outs as they showed character in the second half.

Steve Diamond's Sale were by no means full strength but they were ruthless and with a dominant aire to their rugby throughout.

By bossing the scrums the Sharks were able to roll Sarries downfield, evidenced by the evidenced by the rapidfire, ruck-less offloading play which set the platform for Postlethwaite's close-range score.

Morozov battered his way in after a series of scrum penalties weathered the Sarries pack, while fine handling showed the guile within the Sale ranks before Hammersley finished off following Arron Reid's touch-back.

It was a little less free-flowing after the break, and director of rugby Diamond will surely have mixed feelings about the way Sarries clawed a bonus point late on.

'Destiny in our own hands'

After the game, Diamond said his players were annoyed they had not come away with a bonus point of their own.

"I've had to remind them that we've not beaten Saracens many times in the last 10 years," he said.

"A win's a win and, if somebody had offered me four points before the game, I would have taken it. Our destiny is in our own hands.

"Saracens couldn't handle us in the first half but certainly handled us in the second half.

"Our first team is case hardened and our dirty dozen team, as I call them, is case hardened."

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall admitted his side had left themselves with too much to do after the break.

"Obviously it's disappointing to lose but we got off to a slow-ish start and our scrum was under pressure," he said.

"We never really had the weight or physicality to trouble them. But being 21-7 down, to scrap and fight and show the togetherness and unity in the second half, from a young-ish team, was very pleasing. It's a happy changing room."

Sale Sharks: Hammersley; Roebuck, S James, Hill, Reed; R du Preez, Cliff; Morozov, Langdon, John, Postlethwaite, Phillips, Neild, B Curry (capt), D du Preez.

Replacements: Ashman, Rodd, Cooper-Woolley, Wiese, J-L du Preez, de Klerk, Curtis, Doherty.

Saracens: Obatoyinbo; Morris, Taylor, Socino, Segun; Manu Vunipola, Whiteley; Crean, Woolstencroft (capt), Clarey, Kpoku, Hunter-Hill, Clark, Reffell, Christie.

Replacements: Pifeleti, Hislop, Ibuanokpe, Boon, Venter, Day, Hooley, Sloan.

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys.

• Rugby Weekly Union podcast - listen and subscribe here

• For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.