Irish hold off Falcons
London Irish claimed their second win of the Aviva Premiership season with a 46-29 victory over Newcastle.
Last Updated: 24/09/11 8:38pm
London Irish claimed their second win of the Aviva Premiership season with a 46-29 victory over Newcastle.
The Exiles headed into the game having recorded their first win against Northampton a week earlier and Tom Homer's penalty on four minutes gave them an early lead.
But two shots at goal from Jimmy Gopperth, whose boot kept the Falcons in touch for most of the game, put the visitors in front.
Their advantage didn't last long, however, and on thirteen minutes Topsy Ojo crossed for a try which was converted by Homer.
Ojo's score would prove the be the only try of the first period, but there more points to come before half-time.
Homer's second penalty of the afternoon on 17 minutes made it 13-6, but Gopperth responded for the Falcons on 21 minutes with his third. Homer would strike twice more with the boot before the interval, with Gopperth's fourth penalty making it 19-12 at half-time.
The two sides traded further penalties in the opening ten minutes of the second half, and following another effort from Homer just before the hour came the second try of the afternoon.
Jonathon Joseph was the man who got it for the Exiles, and that score would finally open the floodgates at both ends of the field.
London Irish were awarded a penalty try after Tom Catterick had been sin-binned, before Darren Fearn got the Falcons over the whitewash minutes later.
Joseph added his second for the Exiles to make it 46-22, but it was the visitors who had the last say through a try from Jamie Helleur.
