GLEN JACKSON landed a long-range penalty in stoppage time to hand Saracens their first league win at Franklin's Gardens in almost five years on Saturday.

Jackson's stunning 81st minute effort from fully 45 metres settled an absorbing and fractious match in the Men in Black's favour, although they suffered a lucky escape in the fourth minute of injury time when Shane Drahm's penalty from inside his own half struck the underside of the bar. Drahm, the Australian fly-half, was also off-target with a late drop-goal as Steve Diamond's men held on by the skin of their teeth to extend their unbeaten league to four matches.

Although the margin was wafer-thin, Sarries were good value for a win that lifted them up to the heady heights of fifth, albeit for a matter of hours, and Diamond will be hugely encouraged by they way his side clawed their way back from ten points down and then held on in a grandstand finale.

Diamond, though, would have been tearing his hair out at an error-strewn first 20 minutes from Sarries that gifted the home a ten-point headstart. Drahm nailed a second minute penalty and then converted Paul Diggin's 17th minute try to put relegation-threatend Saints in the driving seat.

But after Jackson had opened his account with a penalty on 23 minutes, Sarries bossed the rest of their half and deservedly drew level in first-half injury time when a penalty try was awarded after the visitors' rampant scrum had forced the Saints to buckle for the umpteenth time.

Sarries made the worst possible start to the second half when Corne Krige was driven over the line after just eight minutes, but Jackson kicked a 58th minute penalty and then Dan Harris rounded off a sweeping move by diving over in the corner.

Drahm edged his side back in front with a straight-forward three pointer with nine minutes remaining, but it was Jackson who emerged as the hero when he showed nerves of steel to kick his side to their third straight league victory.

For a more comprehensive report, plus an interview with Kyran Bracken on his future, don't miss Friday's edition of the Watford Observer.