Agony for Hastings as Saints hold on

ADAM Hastings had the chance to end Gloucester's league run with a long-range penalty with the final kick of a match that had at one point looked beyond them but, despite the crowd trying to will it over, the ball held up in the breeze and dropped agonisingly short.

- PAUL REES

If it seemed to sum up a season in which anything that can go wrong for Gloucester has done, they showed spirit and defiance, led by Ruan Ackermann, after Northampton led 24-7 after 38 minutes, but out of the winning habit, they failed to hold on after taking the lead.

It was Gloucester's final home fixture in a year whose passing they will not mourn. Seven of the other nine had ended in defeats and here, like someone else in red and white at this time of year, they were not lacking in seasonal largesse.

Northampton scored two tries in the first seven minutes, prompted by the England scrum-half Alex Mitchell whose ability to maintain a high tempo saw Gloucester's defence fracture after initially defending the gainline with grim resolution.

Mitchell scored the first, just reaching the line after stretching out his right hand, although it took the officials a fair time to decide that the ball had just touched the paint, and after Mitchell switched play Alex Coles forced his way over.