Timely tonic for Falcons

Jimmy Gopperth converted four penalty kicks to give Newcastle a much needed 12-6 Aviva Premiership victory over Gloucester.

The four points for the win takes the Falcons seven clear of bottom side Leeds while the losing bonus for Gloucester puts them level in third place with Leicester.

Gopperth booted his side into a 9-0 lead at the break, with persistent heavy rain turning the game into a battle between the two packs.

An offside in the second minute gave Gopperth the chance to put the hosts in front at Kingston Park and he made no mistake from 30 metres, but neither side established themselves in the ascendancy early on.

Gcobani Bobo went close to scoring for the hosts but was hustled into touch with the line in sight, although when Gloucester tried to run it from the ensuing scrum they infringed in front of their own posts for Gopperth to double the advantage.

Gloucester applied some pressure midway through the half and appeared to be closing on the opening try after three successive scrums in the opposition 22, but at the fourth attempt it was the visitors who were penalised and the Falcons cleared the danger.

Pressure

The hosts lost prop Tim Ryan and winger Charlie Amesbury to injury before the break but Newcastle were able to extend the lead once more when the visitors were penalised at the ruck after Mickey Young put the visitors under pressure with a high ball.

And it was the same story after the interval as Newcastle forced two line-outs near the Gloucester line, and while the visitors cleared on both occasions Jeremy Manning returned the ball with interest, causing a fumble that gave Gopperth the simplest of penalty kicks to make it 12-0 on 44 minutes.

Gloucester finally got on the scoreboard after six minutes later with a similar effort, the Falcons going over the top at a ruck and Freddie Burns reducing the deficit.

A chip ahead from Tim Taylor was then chased through by Burns but the full-back was beaten to the touch by Luke Fielden, the Newcastle man crashing into the advertising boards and requiring treatment.

At the other end the ball fell kindly for Gopperth on the 22 but his drop-goal attempt drifted narrowly wide.

Play swung back to the other end, Newcastle handed in a ruck and Burns was able to narrow the gap to 12-6 from 30 metres.

Gloucester piled on the pressure but, having won a kickable penalty, elected to go for the line-out, Burns finding touch near the flag.

Newcastle did well to secure the throw and clear their lines, holding on for their second win of the season.