The hosts flew out the gates into a 12-0 lead in less than seven minutes after Ben Curry and Sam Dugdale both touched down but any hopes that it would be a one-sided contest were short lived.
Quins, fresh off a stunning triumph away to Bordeaux Begles that saw them reach the semi-finals of the Investec Champions Cup, were sluggish in the opening exchanges but eventually came to life.
The renowned attacking game created gaps in the Sharks defence for Louis Lynagh to land an 11-minute brace, although Arron Reed scored a try for Sale on the stroke of half-time to halt the visitors’ momentum.
That was the theme of the second half, too. Tries for Cadan Murley and Oscar Beared flanked a Ben Bamber yellow card as Quins closed within one point with a man advantage, but from the restart, Tom O’Flaherty’s charge down of Andre Esterhuizen’s attempted clearance bounced favourably for Raffi Quirke to put Sale back in the ascendency.
Reed got his second to put the hosts 13 points ahead, but Luke Northmore’s converted score ensured it would go down to the wire.
Finally, with the clock more than three minutes into the red, relief filled the stadium as the Sharks secured the turnover and the win.
The result lifted Sale from eighth to sixth, just three points behind Bristol in the fourth and final play-off spot with three games remaining of the regular season.
“We want to keep the dream alive,” Sanderson told TNT Sports. “We’re pushing right to the final game and it probably will come down to Saracens away on the final day to get into that top four.
“But we got the performance and the work rate that we knew we needed against a team that never dies and I think they should be pretty proud of their performance as well because they were well under it in the first 20 minutes and they just battled back and had us on the ropes in the end.
“There were two or three good responses today. We were under it in the second quarter and we scored that try just before half-time and then for them to come back close and then the charge down with Flats coming off the bench and Raffi scoring, that was a rally good response straight after their try.
“There’s a couple of moments that kept us far enough ahead for them not to catch us at the death.
“It’s horrendous for my nerves but this is why you’re in sport. To be in the fight, to experience the nerves.
“I’ve told the boys to go and enjoy it and revel in it.”
TNT Sports pundit Austin Healey believes 56 points is going to be the magic number to reach the play-offs, although mathematically Leicester Tigers in eighth can still seal a semi-final spot in one of the tightest run-ins in the tournament’s history.
Sale face Newcastle Falcons and Leicester in their next two games and if they win both, it could all come down to a mouth-watering clash away at reigning champions Saracens.
“There’s so many things that might happen, could happen and you’re looking at other teams losing,” Sanderson added. “I just say we’ve got to win all our games and pick up a few bonus points on the route and we should be alright.
“Austin was saying 55.5 points yesterday and it’s going to be something around that.
“If you’ve got to beat them to be in it, you’ve got to back yourself. That’s what the stakes dictate, and we’ve got to pick up bonus points but on the back of this performance and the Exeter one we’re probably good for it on this kind of form.”
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