A try from Newcastle substitute Hall Charlton six minutes into injury-time lifted the Falcons off the foot of the Zurich Premiership as Leeds crashed to only their second home defeat of the season.

Newcastle trailed for virtually the entire match until a 78th-minute penalty from England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson nudged his side ahead for the first time.

But Tykes centre Braam van Straaten slotted what appeared to be the winning points six minutes later, and with just seconds to go the Falcons looked dead and buried.

But Charlton popped up on the left to clinch the winning score, which was no more than his side deserved from an ambitious performance which now leaves Bath rooted to the bottom.

Match facts

Leeds 12 Pens: Van Straaten (4) Newcastle 17 Tries: Wilkinson, Charlton Cons: Wilkinson (2) Pen: Wilkinson

Former Springbok Van Straaten looked to have clinched the match with a flawless kicking display for Leeds, who never looked like scoring a try.

And it took just 42 seconds for him to nudge his side ahead with a long-range penalty.

Leeds continued to press, with their forwards driving the Falcons' pack backwards at a rate of knots, eventually securing another penalty which Van Straaten stroked over.

The emotion on the players' faces at the end showed how much it meant to them Rob Andrew Newcastle director of rugby

Newcastle struck back only for winger Michael Stephenson to concede a penalty when trying to burst through the Tykes' line.

But they continued to play in the Leeds half, using Tongan flanker Epi Taione as a battering ram up the centre of the pitch.

The Falcons now had the upper hand but sloppy handling, a missed penalty by Wilkinson and a fluffed drop goal attempt from Stephenson kept them off the scoreboard.

The powerful Taione was being used in a full-back role in open play to run the ball back at Leeds and only a foot in touch stopped him sending in Stephenson after a barnstorming charge down the wing.

Van Straaten kicked another penalty in first half injury-time, but Newcastle regained the initiative when Leeds lock Tom Palmer was sin-binned soon after the break.

We've won enough tight games so we knew that it would be our turn to lose one at some point Phil Davies Leeds director of rugby

Now the Tykes' pack felt the pressure and a surging forward drive brought Newcastle their first points in the the 52nd minute.

Replacement scrum-half Charlton scooped up the ball and fed Wilkinson, who slipped over in the corner before converting his own try.

The England stand-off then exchanged penalties with Van Straaten before Charlton ran in the winning try deep into injury-time.

Leeds: Scarbrough; Hall, Davies, Van Straaten, Albanese; Ross, Dickens; Shelley, Regan, Kerr, Murphy, Palmer, Mather, Hyde, Feaunati.

Newcastle: Shaw; Botham, Noon, May, Stephenson; J Wilkinson, Grindal; Peel, Makin, Hurter, Andrews, Grimes, Taione, Mower, Vyvyan.
Replacements: Charlton, M Wilkinson, Godman, Ward, Hamilton, Thompson, Dunbar.