Geraghty pulls the strings to deny Munster

Northampton Saints 31 Munster 27:Shane Geraghty produced a virtuoso performance in front of watching England manager Martin Johnson to help Northampton celebrate their return to the Heineken Cup after a three-season absence with a narrow victory over Munster in a pulsating tie at Franklin's Gardens.

Northampton's outhalf scored one try and created two others in a 21-point haul which helped the Saints repeat their victory over Munster in the 2000 final in the previous meeting between these two clubs in the competition.

The three-time capped Geraghty, who has been included in Johnson's England Saxons Elite squad, turned a tight game Northampton's way with an opportunist score on the stroke of half-time - tapping and running a penalty when Munster expected him to kick for goal.

But it was Geraghty's 75th-minute penalty which finally killed off Munster's stirring fightback, led by four penalties from Ronan O'Gara and an opportunist try from Tomas O'Leary.

In the end Munster were left to regret a sleepy start in which they looked shaky early on. It was not until they were eight points down that the Irishmen began to play with any cohesion and conviction.

O'Gara was off target with an early penalty attempt, and the hesitancy of his half-back partner O'Leary was seized upon by an eager Northampton.

Geraghty nudged Northampton ahead with a ninth-minute penalty and then set up the opening try with a deft chip ahead that Munster fullback Paul Warwick fumbled. The ball bounced kindly for winger Chris Ashton, who dotted down.

Warwick partly atoned for his error when he opened Munster's account with a 50-metre drop goal, and the fight back continued with a superb try from counter-attack deep in their own half.

Keith Earls spotted that Northampton were over-committed in attack, and his kick through allowed supporting flanker David Wallace to pick up and cross for a try that O'Gara surprisingly failed to improve.

The kicking improved, Geraghty and O'Gara each slotting two penalties which left the scores level at 14-14. Another Geraghty penalty appeared likely when Munster were penalised for handling in a ruck, but the Irish province made the elementary error of turning their backs on him. Instead of kicking for goal, Geraghty tapped the penalty and scythed through for a quick-thinking try which he also converted.

Munster probably thought they had gifted Geraghty that score. But there was no doubting the quality of the try Northampton's outhalf set up for Ashton five minutes into the second half, with a superb break and inside pass that gave the winger an easy run-in.

Geraghty took his points tally to 18 by adding the conversion but was off target with a 53rd-minute penalty - and O'Gara kept chipping away at Northampton's lead.

Munster maintained the pressure and set up a nerve-jangling finale when O'Leary snaked over from a short-side break from a scrum close to Northampton's 22. O'Gara reduced the lead to a point with a well-struck conversion.

But Geraghty had the final word, calmly slotting the winning penalty after Munster were penalised at a scrum in front of their own posts - although Northampton had to withstand a late forward barrage before they claimed the win.