SALE suffered their third straight defeat at Edgeley Park after losing 24-21 to Bath.

The loss also confirmed Sharks’ exit from this season’s EDF Cup, coming after an 18-17 reversal in their opening group match against Cardiff Blues.

But it all could have been so different for the hosts.

After racing into a 13-0 first half lead, all they needed to do was hold firm - ultimately something that proved beyond them.

Bath hit back to score three tries and take the points. It was certainly a case of defeat snatched from the jaws of victory for Sharks.

It was not a complete disaster for Sale though, as they used the game to give valuable gametime to some of their more promising young talents.

The front row had an average age of just 22, while 21-year-old David Tait and 19-year-old Carl Fearns - who looks an extremely exciting prospect - performed heroically in the back row.

Sharks went 6-0 up within the first nine minutes thanks to two penalties from Charlie Hodgson, back in the starting line-up after losing the number 10 shirt to Richard Wigglesworth in the previous two games.

They spurned an early chance to cross the try-line when Chris Bell’s crucial pass went behind Mark Cueto, but when the pair combined again on 24 minutes, it was to far more devastating effect.

A well-placed Hodgson cross-kick found Cueto in space and he provided the scoring pass to send in Bell. Hodgson added the extras to make it 13-0.

After that, it didn’t quite go to plan.

Rhys Crane was denied a couple of decent openings by both Nick Macleod and Nick Royle, the latter suffering a game-ending injury in the process, but it was only after the sin-binning of Brent Cockbain that Bath made headway.

Penalised for a needless offence, coming in from the side at a ruck, the big lock’s absence cost Sale dearly as Stuart Hooper capitalised on the man advantage to score just before the interval. Jack Cuthbert converted.

Bath took their tally to 10 during Cockbain’s absence when Cuthbert added a penalty after the interval.

Although Hodgson kicked a penalty of his own to restore the six-point cushion, the visitors were clearly in the ascendancy.

They took their first lead of the game after 53 minutes when Eliot Fuimaono-Sapolu popped up a pass to Shontayne Hape and the rugby league convert scored his first try in his new code.

Then, five minutes later, Michael Stephenson charged over the line, Cuthbert again converting to give Bath an eight point lead.

But Sharks sensed there was still time to make amends and after a quick lineout throw from Will Cliff they moved the ball across the backline for Bell to score his second try of the game.

And they laid siege to the Bath try-line in the final minutes, following an impressive 50-metre break, but Hodgson was denied mere inches from the line and Sale’s forwards could not force their way over.

A chance missed.