Smith score seals win at Exeter and helps Saints strengthen grip on top-two spot

In the process, the black, green and gold strengthened their grip on a top-two spot as they claimed their 11th win in 13 Gallagher PREM games this season.

Exeter had flown out of the blocks as they moved into a 14-0 lead inside the opening seven minutes, piercing the Saints defence twice with ease.

Phil Dowson's men responded well and hit back to level before the break thanks to tries from Alex Mitchell and, on the brink of half-time, Ollie Sleightholme.

But Saints really should have been ahead, and they went behind again in the second half as Exeter notched their third try of the match.

However, the black, green and gold, who had suffered late heartache in their Investec Champions Cup quarter-final at Bath eight days earlier, would not be denied.

And after Exeter lost Immanuel Feyi-Waboso to the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on, Saints levelled things up through George Furbank's try.

Campbell Ridl became the second Exeter wing to be shown a yellow card, and Henry Pollock then put Saints ahead for the first time.

Paul Brown-Bampoe looked to have helped to rescue a draw for Exeter when he charged down an attempted clearance to score, but Saints kept going and after some fantastic work from Fraser Dingwall, Smith applied an excellent finish and the conversion to secure all five points for his side.

Exeter had headed into the game hoping to cut the seven-point gap between them and table-topping Saints, who made a slow start to the match in the Sandy Park sunshine.

The hosts were allowed to score far too easily as they worked the ball to the right and Olly Woodburn released England wing Feyi-Waboso, who had a clear run to the line.

Henry Slade added the extras from in front of the posts and Exeter were up and running inside just two minutes.

It looked like Saints may be able to issue a quick response as Josh Kemeny charged clear from halfway, but the support wasn't there for the flanker and Exeter got back to stop the threat.

It wasn't long before the Chiefs were back at the away door as they took a quick tap penalty and applied the pressure before centre Will Rigg powered over.

It was another try Exeter hadn't been made to work hard enough for from a Saints perspective, and Slade converted to make it 14-0.

The black, green and gold needed to hit back and they threatened to do that when they worked the ball nicely down their left, but Sleightholme was bundled into touch by an impressive last-ditch tackle in the corner, to the delight of the home fans.

Saints got on the scoreboard in the 14th minute though as George Hendy did superbly to create space on the right, offloading inside for Tom Litchfield, who did likewise for Mitchell to cap an expertly-worked score.

Smith converted to cut the deficit to seven points in what was shaping up to be an entertaining affair.

Callum Chick produced some excellence to keep Saints on the front foot soon after as he landed a 50:22 that allowed the away side to push forward.

However, Exeter defended in impressive fashion, and they were helped by the fact the Saints lineout was faltering time after time.

Things just weren't quite clicking for Saints in attack as they were huffing and puffing but struggling to blow the door down.

Exeter thought they'd landed a sucker-punch score at the other end, but referee Adam Leal reviewed the footage and rightly ruled that Ridl had knocked on in the build-up.

Saints were winning penalties at scrum time, giving them the chance to get field position, but continual knock-ons in home territory proved their underdoing as they tried to get their attacking game to function.

However, the relentless pressure finally told as Exeter gave away penalty after penalty in their 22 and, with the clock having hit 40, Smith fired a fine pass to the left, opening the door for Sleightholme to dot down.

Smith did superbly to slot the conversion from the touchline, meaning the scores were level at the end of a half in which Saints had bossed possession and territory since the concession of the two early tries.

Exeter turned the tables on Saints at the start of the second half, bossing the ball and trying to hammer at the door in a bid to notch their third try of the match.

The black, green and gold resisted well for the opening 10 minutes of the half but they were struggling to get hold of the ball in the second period.

Exeter were starting to work their way into the scrum battle, winning a couple of penalties in that area.

Saints were on the ropes and after defending well for a long period, they were punctured by a break through the middle, which resulted in Ridl scoring in the left corner.

Slade converted well from the touchline and his team were now 21-14 up.

Exeter lost a man on 64 minutes as Feyi-Waboso was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on as he wafted a hand at a long pass as Saints flew down the left.

Saints made immediate inroads as Smith chipped into space and Furbank got there first to score.

Smith converted to level the scores again, and Saints thought they had gone ahead when Kemeny powered over from close range after good work from Tommy Freeman on the right.

But the referee, after awarding the try and watching Smith miss the conversion, eventually pulled play back for what he felt was a knock-on in the air by Sleightholme at the start of the move.

It was a big blow for Saints, but they kept coming and they forced Ridl into the sin bin for an offence on his own line after all-action replacement Pollock came agonisingly close to scoring.

But Pollock didn't have to wait much longer as he produced a strong finish after Saints piled the pressure on the home line.

Smith converted to make it 28-21 with six minutes to go, but Exeter were handed a huge slice of fortune as Brown-Bampoe charged down Sleightholme's attempted clearance kick and the ball bounce kindly for the Exeter wing to score.

Slade held his nerve to convert from the touchline, levelling the scores yet again with two minutes to go.

But Saints had something left in the tank as they engineered a fine move, with Dingwall doing superbly to take the contact and release the ball before Smith applied an excellent finish.

Smith added the conversion with the clock in the red as Saints celebrated a superb win at Sandy Park.

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Olly Woodburn (Will Haydon-Wood 55); 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Will Rigg (Paul Brown-Bampoe 65), 11 Campbell Ridl; 10 Harvey Skinner, 9 Stephen Varney; 1 Scott Sio (Ethan Burger 68), 2 Jack Yeandle (Joseph Dweba 26), 3 Jimmy Roots (Bachuki Tchumbadze 40); 4 Dafydd Jenkins (c) (Rusi Tuima 68), 5 Andrea Zambonin; 6 Tom Hooper, 7 Ross Vintcent (Ethan Roots 57), 8 Greg Fisilau.

Saints: 15 George Furbank (c); 14 George Hendy (Tommy Freeman 51), 13 Tom Litchfield, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Ollie Sleightholme; 10 Fin Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell (Archie McParland 55); 1 Emmanuel Iyogun (Tom West 60), 2 Craig Wright (Robbie Smith 60), 3 Cleopas Kundiona (Elliot Millar Mills 55); 4 Ed Prowse (JJ van der Mescht 70), 5 Tom Lockett; 6 Josh Kemeny, 7 Sam Graham (Henry Pollock 60), 8 Callum Chick.

Referee: Adam Leal