Falcons floor Tigers

Newcastle ended a seven-game losing run, putting a dent in Leicester's top four ambitions in the process, with a 28-25 victory.

Jonny Wilkinson kicked three penalties and two conversions to help a much-changed Falcons side spring a surprise at Kingston Park.

The hosts got off to a flying start, taking the lead inside a minute, before being forced to weather a Tigers comeback in the second half.

Tom Varndell crossed twice for Marcelo Loffreda's side, his second coming in the final 10 minutes to set up a frantic finish.

Sloppy start

However, Leicester left themselves with too much to do late on following a sloppy first quarter that saw them fall 10-0 behind.

Barely had the game kicked off when Wilkinson had his first points of the afternoon, the visitors paying the price for an infringement after losing the ball inside their own 22.

From the re-start the Falcons poured forward again, this time coming up with an opening try through Andy Long.

The hooker dived over after lock Andy Perry had been held up on the line following a fine break from John Rudd. Wilkinson added the extras to take his team into double digits, though the sizeable gap did not last for long.

After such a woeful start Leicester finally came to life when Andy Goode struck a penalty to the corner, leading to No 8 Jordan Crane being driven over from the line-out.

Goode converted from wide out but fluffed a much easier penalty chance soon after.

There was no such mistake from the trusty boot of Wilkinson, who added three more to his personal tally in the 15th minute.

The Tigers found themselves down to 14 men when a dangerous tackle by Marco Wentzel on Tom May saw the Leicester lock yellow-carded.

Despite the numerical disadvantage they still managed to score the third try of the contest, Varndell crashing over to spoil the good work done by Mathew Tait to deny Alesana Tuilagi just moments before.

Crucial try

Crucially Newcastle answered back before the break, Geoff Parling being pushed over by the pack. Wilkinson converted to make it 20-12 at half-time.

Although Goode cut the gap by three with a penalty the Falcons were flying, James Grindal's break setting up May to storm in from 30 metres.

Another Wilkinson penalty stretched the lead to 13 points but when Grindal was sin-binned, replacement fly-half Sam Vesty pulled back the three points.

The super sub then darted from a scrum to lay on a second for Varndell that was converted to leave the game on a knife edge.

Trailing by three but needing a win, Leicester elected not to kick a penalty that could have tied the scores and instead went for broke, a policy that failed to come off as Newcastle held out in the dying seconds.