THIS may not have been the prettiest of victories, but it keeps Sale in the hunt for a place in the LV Cup semi finals.

Captain Mark Easter and youngster Charlie Ingall scored tries which secured a battling 20-6 victory over a Worcester side who must be sick of the sight of Steve's Diamond's men, as they took on Sharks for the fourth time this season.

Sale had good reason to be confident considering their unbeaten start to 2014, and forced an early penalty. Joe Ford had the easiest of kicks to give the hosts an early 3-0 lead.

in conditions which weren't exactly conducive to running rugby, the home side's intelligent kicking game was gaining territory in the areas that mattered.

Evidence, if it were needed, that the wind was playing a big part in the game was clear at the start of the second half. Will Cliff had to be on hand to keep a fingertip on the ball to stop it blowing off the kicking tee.

Ford was able to put that distraction to one side and stretch the lead to six. Davies hit back with his first successful kick of the day though.

If either side was going to cross the whitewash, then it was more than likely that the try would come through the forwards. That proved to be the case, with Captain Easter crashing over after a period of pressure on Warriors' line.

Sale's 10 point lead didn't last long, with another Worcester penalty meaning there was still plenty to play for in the final quarter.

Sharks' second try was the move of the match, and sealed another important win. Andy Forsyth's break created an overlap which gave Ingall the chance to touch down in the corner.