Premiership: Leicester Tigers 13-12 Saracens - Late penalty try snatches win for Tigers

Leicester have made their best start to a Premiership season in six years

Leicester snatched victory against Saracens with a penalty try deep in added time to hand them a third win in their first three Premiership games.

Referee Christophe Ridley ruled in their favour after a rolling maul was collapsed on the Saracens line.

Billy Vunipola was also shown a yellow card for his infringement.

It proved to be the only try of the match after England team-mates Owen Farrell and George Ford had traded penalties for the most part.

Mark McCall's side, who have begun their top-flight return with a win and a defeat, looked stunned at the outcome. They appeared to have done enough to come away with a fifth successive win on their visits to Leicester before indiscipline cost them late on.

It dampened excitement around the club on the day they announced a consortium including former player and 1995 World Cup-winning South Africa captain Francois Pienaar had agreed a £32m takeover.

• Saracens agree £32m takeover deal from consortium

Long-time owner Nigel Wray and his daughter Lucy, the club's chief executive, watched the dramatic finish from the stands.

But Leicester's best Premiership start for six years sees them top the table, a point ahead of Northampton who have also started the season with three wins from three.

• Biggar's late penalty sees Saints hold off Irish

• 14-man Newcastle come from behind to beat Wasps

• Gloucester beat Worcester for first win

Their winning moment was set up after Saracens gave away a seemingly needless penalty as scrum-half Aled Davies went off his feet with a late tackle on Guy Porter while Alex Lewington tried to drag him into touch.

Ford kicked to the corner with the clock already in the red and after Harry Wells caught the five-metre line-out from Tom Cowan-Dickie, Vunipola was adjudged to have collapsed the maul before referee Ridley awarded the penalty try to finish the game.

Until the late drama, it appeared kicks from the tee would be the only scores in damp and windy conditions.

Farrell, on his return to club colours after being part of the British & Irish Lions summer tour to South Africa, kicked four of his five attempts while Tigers fly-half Ford slotted two either side of a missed long-range effort by Freddie Steward.

Leicester head coach Steve Borthwick told BBC Radio 5 Live:

"Credit to the players for the character they showed to stick in there and try and stay with an excellent Saracens team.

"We knew it was going to be exceptionally tough today, but I think the supporters will be incredibly impressed with their team's character.

"Hopefully we brought a bit of joy to them. There's plenty for us to learn from this game and we'll be looking at the lessons to try and make sure we're a better team next weekend.

"It was a game where neither team really wanted to have the ball too much because of the turnovers and pressure it created. It was a terrific tactical battle and I felt George Ford managed it brilliantly in the second half."

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall told BBC Radio 5 Live:

"To lose in the last seconds of the game is always disappointing, but I felt like it was coming for a while.

"They had a lot entries into our 22 in the second half. I felt first half we were very good and had a real dominance in the game, which was never really reflected on the scoreboard.

"In the second half, we made a lot of mistakes, we scrapped and fought hard to keep them out. But we put ourselves in too many situations where we shouldn't have.

"We had chances in the first half to put ourselves ahead further than we were. The dam broke at the end there and credit to Leicester."

On the £32m investment in the club by a new consortium: "It's really positive news for every one connected with the club, not only the figure but the people who are investing, which is very exciting."

Leicester: Burns; K van Wyk, Porter, Kelly, Saumaki; Ford, B Youngs; F van Wyk, Doly, Cole, Green, Chessum, Martin, Reffell, Liebenberg (capt).

Replacements: T Cowan-Dickie, Genge, Leatigaga, Wells, Henderson, Van Poortvliet, Socino, Steward.

Saracens: Malins; Lewington, Lozowski, Tompkins, Segun; Farrell (capt), Davies; Adams-Hale, George, Riccioni, Isiekwe, Swinson, Wray, Earl, B Vunipola.

Replacements: Woolstencroft, Mawi, Clarey, Hunter-Hill, Christie, Simpson, Goode, Morris.

Sin-bin: B Vunipola (84 mins).

Referee: Christophe Ridley (RFU).

• Rugby Weekly Union podcast - listen and subscribe here