Jonny May celebrates© Stu Forster/Getty Images

Man of the match Jonny May reflected on a night he will never forget after Gloucester triumphed in the European Challenge Cup final at Twickenham Stoop on Friday night.

Gloucester survived Bill Meakes' red card to see off Edinburgh 19-13 and claim glory at the Twickenham Stoop, reviving their Champions Cup qualification hopes at the expense of Sale and Harlequins.

May told Sky Sports 1: "(It means) everything. It's a game that hung in the balance for so long, and to be at Gloucester for as long as I have, with my mates, just makes it a night I'll remember for the rest of my life.

"We've done it for one another and we've done it for the city, and we just thank them for coming and travelling so well with us. It's just been one big group effort and we're just glad to have done it."

Centre Meakes was dismissed for tackling Sam Beard high and without the ball with 15 minutes to play - but Gloucester clung on to secure their first silverware since the 2011 LV= Cup.

The 14-man Cherry and Whites rode out a nervy final quarter-hour to seal a victory founded on ex-Edinburgh scrum-half Greig Laidlaw's 14 points with the boot.

May was pleased with the way his side held on despite Edinburgh's spirited second-half showing, adding: "(In the first half) we just went as hard as we could and I felt like when we put tempo on the game we were in control.

"I think they're a smart team and they managed to slow us down a little bit in that second half, and our discipline let us down a little bit so they clawed their way back into the game - but I do think we deserved it and I'm just so pleased."

Captain Billy Twelvetrees, who crossed for Gloucester's first-half try, said: "This is massive for us as a group of players. To get silverware at this stage of the season is massive and it means so much to the boys, who have worked incredibly hard.

"Things didn't go our way in the second half but we stuck to our plan and we got the result."