Elton Moncrieff kept Gloucester in Europe with a dramatic 78th minute drop-goal that preserved the Premiership club's Heineken Cup quarter-final hopes.

New Zealander Moncrieff's dramatic late strike - deflected over the crossbar by Llanelli flanker Dafydd Jones - means that Gloucester can still secure last-eight status.

So too can Llanelli, who had Jones and centre Salesi Finau sin-binned during a magnificent match, but they must beat Stradey Park visitors Colomiers next Saturday and hope that other results fall their way.

The game was dominated by rival goalkicking fly-halves Simon Mannix and Stephen Jones.

Mannix booted 20 points for the home side, with six penalties and a conversion of Gloucester's first-half penalty try, while Jones slotted 17 points.

Llanelli wing Mark Jones scored two sparkling tries, yet Gloucester's nerve held in front of a capacity 10,800 Kingsholm crowd.

It was make-or-break for Gloucester, whose European survival this season depended on them beating Llanelli ahead of next weekend's trip to tackle Roma.

But the Scarlets drew first blood when Jones slotted a short-range penalty after Gloucester's midfield defence strayed offside.

Gloucester had an immediate chance to draw level, yet Mannix missed a sitter, evoking memories of his recent abysmal Premiership goalkicking form.

Mannix's blunder could not mask Gloucester dominance though, especially up-front where their front-row of Trevor Woodman, Olivier Azam and Phil Vickery caused scrummaging mayhem.

Such destruction meant that Llanelli skipper Scott Quinnell was forced to take things on single-handedly, repeatedly collecting remnants of a ruined Scarlets scrum and alleviating danger.

Territorially, Gloucester should have been comfortably ahead inside 20 minutes, but Llanelli somehow preserved that advantage secured through Jones' early penalty strike.

Ten minutes before the break, he doubled the lead, slotting his second penalty chance following good approach work from Llanelli's threatening left wing Mark Jones.

The crowd made disbelieving stares at Kingsholm's electronic scoreboard, and it got worse for the Gloucester faithful.

Scarlets centre Dafydd James made headway after Gloucester skipper Kingsley Jones was penalised by French referee Didier Mene, and Jones sprinted through an unmarked inside channel for a try that his fly-half namesake converted.

Gloucester laid siege to the Llanelli line in pursuit of a score, and it arrived two minutes into stoppage time when Mene's patience with persistent Scarlets offenders finally evaporated.

Gloucester's New Zealand lock Ian Jones was illegally impeded at a lineout, and Mannix converted the penalty try that followed.

Llanelli couldn't regain their composure, and after Scarlets flanker Dafydd Jones was sin-binned for killing possession, Mannix booted a penalty to give the home side renewed hope.

Mannix and Jones exchanged penalties within eight minutes of the restart, but Llanelli's sizeable travelling contingent could sense a famous victory.

Their optimism grew on 52 minutes when Gloucester were again unable to shackle classy Welsh international James.

He ghosted into space, then pressed the accelerator, and Mark Jones prospered for a second time, galloping over from 25 metres out.

Stephen Jones narrowly failed with the touchline conversion, but his fourth penalty after Mannix had again found the target, meant Llanelli enjoyed an eight-point lead entering the final quarter of a bristling Anglo-Welsh clash.

New Zealander Mannix grew in confidence as the game went on, and penalty number four on 64 minutes brought Gloucester back to within a converted try of a win which would keep alive their quarter-final hopes.

Tension inevitably mounted - Gloucester's entire season hinged on the outcome - and the drama intensified.

After Llanelli lost Finau for his tackle on Chris Yates, Mannix's resulting penalty guaranteed a gripping finale, yet Jones restored the five-point advantage when Gloucester's forwards infringed.

But the Scarlets couldn't stop conceding penalties, allowing Mannix his sixth successful penalty with enough time still remaining.

Then, up stepped scrum-half hero Moncrieff.

Teams:

Gloucester: Catling, Fanolua, Little, Yates, Beim, Mannix, Moncrieff, Woodman, Azam, Vickery, Fidler, I. Jones, Boer, K. Jones, Ojomoh.

Replacements: Fortey for Azam (63), Deacon for Vickery (69), Hazell for K. Jones (59).

Not Used: Gomarsall, Hayward, Greenslade-Jones, Eustace.

Tries: Penalty.

Cons: Mannix.

Pens: Mannix 6.

Drop Goals: Moncrieff.

Llanelli: Evans, M. Jones, James, Finau, Proctor, S. Jones, Moon, Booth, McBryde, Madden, Cooper, C. Gillies, Wyatt,D. Jones, Quinnell.

Not Used: J. Davies, M. Thomas, Katula, Buckingham, Peel, Lawson, Cardey.

Sin Bin: D. Jones (40), Finau (71).

Tries: M. Jones 2.

Cons: S. Jones.

Pens: S. Jones 4, D. Jones.

Att: 10,800

Ref: D Meni (France).