Falcons leave Leeds floundering

Newcastle ran out ready winners of Sunday's Aviva Premiership basement battle, defeating Leeds Carnegie 22-5 at Headingley.

The result leaves the hosts seven points adrift at the bottom of the table with their nearest rivals delivering a psycological blow with a comprehensive triumph.

Ally Hogg put the visitors ahead early on while Jeremy Manning sealed victory late in the game after Jimmy Gopperth kicked four penalties.

Leeds had made the brighter start but had only a Scott Freer try 10 minutes from time to show for their efforts.

Falcons went ahead on eight minutes after Gopperth had kicked a penalty into touch from inside his own half, Tim Swinson winning the lineout to set Micky Young in motion.

He fed prop Jon Golding, and then Luke Fielden, before number eight Hogg charged over from 15 yards, carrying full-back Ceiron Thomas with him.

Possession

Thomas was struggling with his kicking, but both sides carried an attacking threat with ball in hand.

Leeds forged into the opposition 22 only for Kearnan Myall to undo their hard work by spilling the ball.

Territory and possession was being bossed by Leeds, but Newcastle were swift on the counter.

They perhaps should have had a second try from Gopperth's cross-field kick but Peter Wackett made a try-saving tackle on Alex Tait.

Handling errors continued to thwart Leeds, who were again reprieved when Warren Fury threw a pass straight at Falcons captain James Hudson but he lacked the confidence to run it back for a try and eventually knocked on.

Gopperth extended Newcastle's lead to 11 points before the break with two penalties, the first after Leeds were found guilty of infringements in the

scrum, the second a result of crossing in midfield, though Gopperth's 50-metre kick on the angle was perfectly executed.

Life

Newcastle pressed at the start of the second half and were rewarded for their endeavour when Leeds were twice penalised for indiscipline in the scrum, Gopperth making it four from four to extend the lead to 17-0.

Leeds flickered into life when Michael Stephenson broke from halfway and fed Lachlan Mackay but he had no support as full-back Manning bore down on him.

Their task was made easier when Newcastle hooker Matt Thompson was sin-binned for not releasing and Leeds, with a raft of backs replacements on, began to ask a few serious questions.

From an attacking lineout, 22-year-old replacement hooker Freer scored off the back of a maul, but Adrian Jarvis missed the conversion.

Any hope of a comeback was extinguished by Manning's late score in the corner after good approach play.