LV= Cup Exeter Chiefs 28 Gloucester 27

A LAST-MINUTE penalty try converted by fly half Ceri Sweeney saw LV= Cup holders Exeter snatch a 28-27 victory over West Country rivals Gloucester at Sandy Park in a match that was littered with penalties.

The visitors included No.8 Gareth Evans for his first senior appearance since being sidelined with a knee injury in April, while Steve McColl, Mark Atkinson, Tom Isaacs, Aled Thomas and Dan Thomas made their first competitive starts for the Cherry and Whites.

Gloucester took the lead on seven minutes when, after a break by centres Mark Atkinson and Billy Meakes, they were awarded a penalty for not releasing at the tackle and fly half Thomas slotted the points.

Exeter hit back immediately through a 30-metre penalty from Wales international Sweeney with a strong wind at his back. But it was Gloucester who played open running rugby to test the Chiefs' defence.

Midway through the half Thomas was off target with his second penalty attempt and with seven minutes remaining and having conceded nine penalties, Chiefs' prop Brett Sturgess was sent to the sin-bin by referee Simon Harding.

Gloucester took advantage of the extra man to power their way to the line, with Evans crossing for the opening try, converted by Thomas, but there was still time for the Chiefs to pull something back.

With Gloucester again on the attack scrum half Dan Robson tried to feed ball from the line-out but his pass was intercepted by centre Adam Hughes who raced 80 metres to score by the posts. Sweeney's conversion levelled the scores at 10-10.

Two minutes after the restart Sweeney landed his second penalty but the Chiefs' lead was short-lived as Meakes pounced on a loose ball, after Thomas grabbed scrum half Dave Lewis, to touchdown.

Thomas converted from out wide on the left before adding a second penalty from the other side but Exeter's problems in the pack continued despite changing both props early in the second half.

The Chiefs finally came into the game with 30 minutes remaining and Cowan-Dickie was held-up over the line. Then after a quick tap penalty the ball was worked wide for wing Fetu'u Vainikolo to power over.

Gloucester showed that they were still in the game with loosehead prop Yann Thomas crossing the whitewash from close range with Aled Thomas converting, but Sweeney's third penalty reduced the Exeter arrears to six points.

With less than three minutes remaining Exeter were causing Gloucester problems in the scrum and at the third reset referee Harding awarded the Chiefs a penalty try. Sweeney's conversion gave Exeter victory.

Thomas had a late opportunity to snatch the game but his penalty attempt from just inside the Chiefs half, close to the left touchline, hit the far upright.

Gloucester's defence coach John Muggleton said: "A penalty try is a terrible way to lose a game.

"You could say that they dropped a scrum in the middle of that series of penalties and the referee called it a slip.

"Perhaps that is looking at it with Cherry and White eyes. Then to have the ball hit the post and bounce out after full-time, it seems to be the history of the teams here when it is very close.

"It was very difficult to stomach that defeat because we played enough footie and made enough breaks to win the game but the reality of the situation is that we didn't. We have to learn from that, learn to finish them off.

"We had a plan to run the ball and get round the corner to make them fold because we didn't think they were too good there.

"But it all comes down to their interception try on half-time.

"The penalty count in the second half was completely different than that in the first half and for some of the same things. We needed to manage our field position and not have back-to-back penalties."