Drop looming for Falcons

Newcastle stumbled a step closer towards Premiership relegation after slumping 19-9 to Worcester at Sixways.

Their 13th defeat in 18 league matches this season leaves the Falcons eight points adrift at the bottom.

Centre Alex Grove's second-half try was the key contribution as the visitors surrendered a 9-6 second-half lead they had taken courtesy of three Jimmy Gopperth penalties.

Gopperth's opposite number Andy Goode booted 14 points with four penalties and a conversion, his final strike denying Newcastle the consolation of a losing bonus point.

Gopperth sent a rushed early drop-goal shot wide of the Worcester posts, but with both sides opting for sustained kicking strategies, clear-cut attacking opportunities were few and far between.

Defences also cancelled each other out, especially in a congested midfield area, yet Newcastle secured enough of a territorial advantage for Gopperth to kick them ahead after 13 minutes.

Neither side could get a grip on the contest, not helped by increasingly wayward and largely pointless kicking that merely gifted possession to the other team.

There was a chronic lack of confidence and imagination displayed in attack, yet Newcastle would have been far happier than their hosts as half-time approached.

Goode landed an equalising penalty just before the interval, but the Falcons finished a dire opening 40 metres with a degree of territorial control and feeling they could probably push on and secure a priceless away triumph.

Marksman

It was Gopperth who made the first notable contribution after the break, as the prolific marksman found his range from 48 metres to inch Newcastle back in front, although there were signs of Worcester's forwards stirring into life.

And some impressive work by the home pack ended with Newcastle infringing, allowing Goode an easy penalty chance that he accepted to make it 6-6.

Gopperth, though, restored Newcastle's advantage by completing his penalty hat-trick, and when Goode matched his achievement shortly afterwards following a slashing break by Warriors wing Miles Benjamin, the game was tied again entering its final quarter.

Worcester were far more dangerous with ball in hand than they had been in the first half, looking to find Benjamin and Marcel Garvey, who enjoyed increasing amounts of room.

And it came as no surprise when Grove crossed 15 minutes from time, his touchdown ending a prolonged spell around Newcastle's 22 that ultimately cracked open Falcons' well-organised defence.

Goode converted and then slotted his fourth penalty just a minute from time to send Newcastle home with nothing.