SARACENS' European Challenge Cup hopes were left in tatters on Sunday after they were cruelly sunk in extra-time by Brive.

The Men in Black had looked set to book their place in the last four after a second-half try from Taine Randell and eight points from the boot of Nicky Little had established a ten-point aggregate lead with just three minutes of normal time remaining. But the sin-binning of Little for a high tackle on 77 minutes proved to be the seminal moment of the match.

Julien Laharrague kicked the resulting penalty, Yves Donguy crossed the line in the fourth minute of injury time and then replacement scrum-half Valentin Courrent landed a brilliant touch-line conversion to level the scores and send a pulsating match into extra-time.

Brive edged ahead for the first time in the match when Alexandre Maleyrie was driven over under the posts, but Little cut the deficit to just two points with his third penalty of the match and Sarries thought they had snatched a sensational winning try in the dying seconds when Richard Haughton squeezed over in the corner. But he was ajudged to have been held up and Sarries crashed out by just two points.

"On the day we didn't deserve to progress as Brive just shaded it," said head coach Steve Diamond, beaten for the first time since he took over from Rod Kafer. "We have to look back to the home leg last week where we didn't make the most of our chances which ultimately cost us. Saying that the game couldn't have been much closer. After going into extra time with points and tries tied, the effort was exceptional but the application wasn't quite up to the required levels."

Diamond will now have to pick his side up off the floor for Sunday's crucial Powergen Cup Quarter-Final clash with London Irish as the Men in Black continue their quest for a Heineken Cup spot.

For a more comprehensive report, don't miss Friday's edition of the Watford Observer.