SALE FC secured only their third bonus-point win of the season with a hard-fought 35-28 victory at bottom club Huddersfield.

The match started well for Sale with some fluent handling finished off by Chris Mayor for the first try after just two minutes and Liam McGovern added the extras.

Sale were then penalised at the scrum to give Huddersfield’s Chris Bell a comfortable penalty to narrow the gap before McGovern restored the advantage with a penalty of his own.

A Sale pass was then intercepted by the home side's flanker Liam Parfitt to race in under the posts and Bell added the conversion to level the scores.

The visitors responded well and fine handling saw Mayor cross for his second try with McGovern adding another conversion, but on the half hour Huddersfield hooker Lewis Bradley went over for a try and Bell levelled the scores once more.

Adam Aigbokhae was putting in a fine performance in the front row rather than his usual position of flanker, with powerful play giving the hosts many problems.

But Huddersfield went in front just before the break when Joe Hinchliffe darted over but his attempted conversion was charged down to leave the hosts 22-17 ahead at the break.

Hinchliffe added three points early in the second half to open up an eight-point lead for Huddersfield, but Sale hit back with a flowing move that ended with Ciaran Connolly touching down in the corner and McGovern adding a superb conversion.

The kickers exchanged penalties once more, the latter after Ben Gledhill received a yellow card, but the result was very much in the balance.

Sale brought on Adam Greendale and Scott Briggs with just over 10 minutes remaining and it was Greendale who finished off a fine move with the bonus-point try, and his first score for the club.

McGovern added a third penalty with two minutes remaining and Sale held out for a much needed win that moved them up to 12th place in National Two North.