Wasps stunned by Sarries

Saracens kept their Heineken Cup hopes alive after egding out Wasps 19-14 in a dramatic London derby at Vicarage Road.

Francisco Leonelli marked his return from a lengthy injury lay-off with the game-winning try with just four minutes to play.

Glen Jackson, who finished with a personal haul of 14 points, added the conversion to help keep his side in with a chance of European qualification.

Wasps thought they had won it themselves when Tom Voyce crossed on 73 minutes, the winger's effort giving the visitors the upper hand for the first time.

Quick-fire double

The reigning champions contrived to let the lead slip away, though, Leonelli's finish proving that just like buses in the capital, tries tend to come along in pairs just when you'd given up all hope of ever seeing one.

Up until the late drama the clash had been fought out as a territorial battle that was reliant on the two men wearing 10 to provide the points.

Jackson - the leading scorer in the Guinness Premiership - landed four from five first-half penalty attempts to give the hosts a 12-6 lead at the interval.

The fly-half continuously made Wasps pay for poor discipline inside their own territory, twice the visitors being pulled up for going off their feet at a ruck.

However, the game remained firmly in the balance thanks to Danny Cipriani's two penalties, the second of which was an impressive effort from long range.

The England international was also in prime form in the loose, displaying his superb turn of pace with one break from inside his own 22 after taking a quick tap himself following a well-judged catch underneath a spiralling bomb.

The opportunity was not the only time Wasps threatened to get the opening try in the first 40 minutes, Dominic Waldouck coming closest of all when his effort in the corner was ruled out by the video official for having a leg in touch.

Saracens' best chance came from a sniping break by scrum-half Justin Marshall who, after considering taking on last man Mark van Gisbergen, instead decided to let Leonelli try and finish things off.

Engulfed

The winger attempted to race away to the corner but was quickly engulfed by three yellow shirts, who then forced the attacker into touch.

However, the Argentinian made no mistake when given a second sight of the line, his good support play being rewarded with a clear gallop to the posts.

Jackson's kick put daylight between the two teams and Wasps, who must have thought they had done enough to take the spoils when van Gisbergen's grubber set up Voyce in the right corner, were unable to battle back again.

Cipriani's penalty just before the hour mark had put them within three points, though his attempt to level the scores at 12 apiece before the late drama leaked wide of the left upright.