English champions Sale suffered a dramatic Heineken Cup defeat after the Ospreys staged a spectacular smash and grab raid at the Liberty Stadium.

Substitute James Hook booted a final kick conversion eight minutes into injury time to convert Wales star Shane Williams' second try of the game.

Sale looked to have done enough, leading 16-10 with the match in its final throes, but the Ospreys strung together numerous phases of attacking play before Williams scampered over.

Hook kept his nerve despite incredible pressure, leaving Sale crestfallen and facing a battle to reach the quarter-finals from Pool Three.

Sale also lost their England wing Mark Cueto, who limped out of the Liberty Stadium action just two weeks before the world champions face New Zealand at Twickenham.

Initial reports suggested Cueto - one of England head coach Andy Robinson's few guaranteed selections to tackle the All Blacks - had suffered a sprained ankle following a 12th-minute collision with Ospreys full-back Lee Byrne.

Sale struggled to unleash their renowned attacking game in his absence, and could not build on number eight Juan Martin Fernandez-Lobbe's early try.

Fly-half Charlie Hodgson kicked three penalties and a conversion, yet only nine points were scored during an error-strewn second period before Williams and Hook took centre stage.

The Ospreys went into battle without hamstring victim Gavin Henson, much to the dismay of a bumper 13,500 crowd.

Williams claimed an incisive seventh-minute try, converted by Shaun Connor, who also slotted a penalty, but the Ospreys left it late to collect vital home points.

The Ospreys suffered a major pre-match blow when Henson was ruled out due to a hamstring strain, meaning Connor was promoted from replacement duty and South African Stefan Terblanche provided bench cover.

Henson, though, is expected to recover ahead of next Saturday's testing encounter against runaway French championship leaders Stade Francais in Paris.

Sale had no late injury concerns, with rugby director Philippe Saint-Andre fielding a team containing 14 internationals - the solitary exception being lock Dean Schofield.

But the visitors endured a nightmare start and were 10-0 down after seven minutes as a fired-up Ospreys took charge.

Connor slotted a penalty after Sharks dropped the kick-off and then infringed, before a brilliant Justin Marshall break from deep inside his own half left Sale's defence in all kinds of trouble.

Sale had barely halted Marshall's initial run when the former All Blacks scrum-half rifled out a pass to Connor, who sent Williams sprinting over for a try that Connor converted from the touchline.

Although Fernandez-Lobbe clawed Sale back into it by reacting quickest after an alert Hodgson charged down Byrne's attempted clearance, the Sharks soon suffered a major setback as Cueto limped off.

His departure meant captain Jason Robinson switched to the wing and Daniel Larrechea joined the action at full-back.

The loss of Cueto ruffled Sale, and Hodgson sent two routine penalties wide in quick succession after Connor hit the post from similar range.

It did not get any better when Larrechea tried his luck from 50 metres, leaving Sale to reflect on a potential nine points wasted as French referee Joel Jutge asserted growing authority at the breakdown area.

Sale pushed for an equalising score as half-time approached, but their task was made easier when Ospreys' Wales international lock Brent Cockbain stamped on Fernandez-Lobbe at a ruck.

A relieved-looking Cockbain received a yellow card, rather than red, and Hodgson recovered his poise to slot the resulting penalty, making it 10-10 at the interval.

Saint-Andre made a double substitution within five minutes of the restart, sending on prop Stuart Turner and scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth after Ospreys try-scorer Williams required treatment when a stray boot caught him in the head.

Hodgson edged Sale ahead for the first time with a penalty as Cockbain returned, but a poor Wigglesworth kick put Sharks under pressure as Byrne's 60-metre touchfinder rolled out of play deep inside the visitors' territory.

Wigglesworth atoned for his error by clearing the danger, and both sides looked for fresh impetus as Sharks introduced Sebastien Chabal before Ospreys coach Lyn Jones summoned hooker Huw Bennett, back-row forward Jonathan Thomas and fly-half Hook.

Highly-rated Hook's appearance won rapturous applause from the Ospreys fans, but his first touch saw him send a drop-goal attempt well off target.

The Hodgson's 76th-minute strike made it 16-10 before Bennett wasted a golden late chance when he spilled substitute Jason Spice's pass.

The real drama, though, was still to come.