SALE FC Rugby rose to third place in National League One after turning a 22-7 half-time deficit into a 31-29 victory on their first ever visit to Darlington Mowden Park's Northern Echo Arena.

The hosts’ first try came from a period of sustained pressure from their pack, eventually breaking the defensive line with a sniping run from their number nine Matt Dudman with Warren Seals adding the extras.

Sale FC’s response was immediate, testing the home side's defence and helping Johnny Leota in at the corner with Chris Johnson converting.

A lapse in concentration in Sale FC’s defence allowed DMP’s rapid winger Brandon Asher-Wood to score the try of the day, picking the perfect line to leave the last line of defence in his wake.

As half time approached, Stone Priestly-Nangle was yellow carded after which a further try and third for DMP was scored by second row Talite Vaioleti, duly converted by the number 10 to bring make it 22-7 at the break.

After the interval, Sale FC’s confidence took a battering as DMP’s number eight, Joe Craggs, scored their bonus-point try and increased their lead to 29-7.

But then the visitors fought back and, from a DMP five-metre scrum, Sale FC skipper Andy Hughes charged down a clearance kick and scored a third try shortly afterwards.

Both tries were converted by the faultless Johnson taking the score to 29-21.

Sale now had the game by the scruff of the neck and a further penalty converted by Johnson brought the score to 29-24 with 10 minutes remaining.

Nic Dolly scored Sale FC’s bonus-point try on 75 minutes and the conversion from Johnson gave them the lead as the whistle approached.

DMP were unable to recover from the onslaught and went down to their first home defeat and Sale’s first victory on the road.

At home, Sale FC’s second team delivered a 47-15 victory against Preston Grasshoppers in the Cotton Traders Premier League.