Olly Barkley had already scored four penalties in the game but had also missed some too, thus putting pressure on young Aussie Chris Malone to do the business. However Malone was not sure he had his kicking boots to hand as he had already missed two drop-goal attempts and this was his first goal kick of the match (after 83 minutes). What must have been going through Molly's mind as he set himself for the kick? Nothing to lose. Everything to lose. Blame. Adoration. Strewth mate (as they say down under), that's pressure. The important thing for him, his comrades, the club and of course us is that he did it. He scored. He sent us crashing through to the semi-finals of the Powergen Cup!

Bath had played well in the first half and were just in front thanks to four Olly Barkley penalties. But they seemed to lose focus for the first 35 minutes of the second half and, when the score was 23-17 to the home side with just three minutes of normal time remaining, it looked as though the visitors would be trudging back down the M6 with their tails well and truly between their legs. Up until the end Bath couldn't but a try. But this is the Cup, the competition Bath dominated for so long. How many Cup games have we played in the past where all looked lost only for the boys to pull a blue, black and white rabbit from a hat?

As the minutes ticked down towards the final whistle Bath piled on the pressure but a win appeared to be elusive. Firstly Brendan Daniel stepped in to touch when it looked as though he would fly down the wing. Then Andy Williams was dragged down a yard from the Sale try line having been set up by Andy Beattie following a Malone cross-field kick. However there was still time, deep in to injury time Matt Stevens popped up on the wing to score in the corner thus setting up Chris Malone's monumental winning touchline conversion.

Sale were not quite as depleted at the start as we were led to believe yesterday, when it was reported they were likely to be without many senior players with a virus. However Charlie Hodgson couldn't make the second half as his fever appeared to catch up with him. Bath had to make some late changes as both Alex Crockett and Lee Best withdrew from the squad. Crockett injured his leg during the warm up and Best pulled out after feeling the effects of the previous day's training run.

This was a great win for Bath and really shoves some impetus back in to our season after the disappointment of missing out in Europe. However let's not get too cocky about another trip to Twickenham as there are plenty of teams left in the competition who can destroy our dreams in the semi's. But let's not dwell on that, let's whoop for joy at this result: "Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooop!!!"

Sale: Robinson, Cueto, Baxendell, Todd, Mayor, Hodgson, Wigglesworth, Turner, Bruno, Stewart, Jones, Schofield, White, Carter, Chabal.
Replacements: Titterell, Halsall, Day, Lund, Redpath, Hercus, Rhys Jones.

Bath: Perry, Higgins, Crockett, Barkley, Daniel, Malone, Walshe, Barnes, Humphreys, Bell, Borthwick, Grewcock, Beattie, Lipman, Fea'unati.
Replacements: Mears, Stevens, Scaysbrook, Fidler, Abendanon, Davis, Williams.

Referee: Ashley Rowden

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