A LAST-GASP converted try from prop Andy Kershaw gave Saracens a nerve-jangling 36-30 win over Harlequins in a pulsating clash at Vicarage Road on Sunday that ended a run of three straight defeats.

In a classic encounter, Saracens, who had earlier led 18-0, trailed by one point in injury time and looked to continuing their alarming recent slump.

However, Kershaw, the on loan prop from London Wasps, crashed over from a driving maul to score the match-winning try, converted by Andy Goode, to spare Sarries' blushes and send the crowd in raptures.

Earlier, the men in black had once again managed to throw away a seemingly unassailable lead after entering the break 26-8 in front.

Goode opened the scoring on two minutes with a penalty and then three minutes later captain Kyran Bracken took a quick-tap penalty to dart over from ten metres. Goode's conversion gave the home side a 10-0 lead.

Goode dragged a drop goal wide on nine minutes, but two minutes later Tim Horan produced a moment of magic when he collected a pass from Bracken, sliced through the heart of the Quins' defence for a vintage try. Goode missed the conversion but added a penalty from 30 metres and another on 27 minutes after Ben Gollings was sin-binned for poleaxing Adryan Winnan.

Nathan Williams, the Quins' full-back, notched his shell-shocked side's first points of the afternoon with a penalty on 24 minutes, but a rampant Sarries' side, playing arguably their best rugby of the season, claimed a third try on 31 minutes when Goode fed Richard Haughton, who wriggled his way through for his first league try of the season. Goode stroked the conversion wide.

Quins gave themselves a life-line on the stroke of half-time when Matt Moore dived over in the left-hand corner, while Williams missed the conversion as Sarries entered the break with a comfortable lead.

The turning point of the match came on 43 minutes when David Flatman was sin-binned for some over-zealous rucking. Within 90 seconds Quins' revival began to gather momentum when Andre Vos, their outstanding Springbok flanker, powered his way over for his first try for the club. Williams' conversion reduced the deficit to nine points.

The tide slowly began to turn in Quins' favour and just seconds after Kyran Bracken had been replaced by Morgan Williams in a pre-planned move, the visitors moved to within four points after Nick Duncombe squeezed his way over for a converted try.

Goode eased Sarries' nerves slightly with a 64th minute penalty, but Quins set up a rousing last ten minutes when Gollings' chip to the corner was gobbled up by Moore, who beat the last defender to score his second, and his side's third try, of the match.

Williams missed the conversion but looked to have sealed a famous win for his side with a 77th minute penalty that gave Quins a one-point lead.

With time running out, Goode's attempted drop goal fell just short but was knocked on under the posts. Sarries looked to have blown their chance when they twice failed to take advantage of the subsequent five-metre scrum, but they snatched the points in the dying seconds when another piercing break from Horan led set up a driving maul.

After Kris Chesney had fallen just short, Kershaw crashed over from the next phase for a match-clinching try, sealing the bonus point in the process. Goode added the conversion to finish with a 18 point haul and wrap up a heart-stopping win.

For all the reaction to the Quins' match, plus a look ahead to the men in black's clash with Sale Sharks on Friday night, (November 15) don't miss Friday's edition of The Watford Observer.