Exiles: (8) 21 Tries: Catt, Hodgson Con: Everitt Pens: Mapletoft 3 Newcastle: (15) 15 Tries: Walder, Dowson Con: Burke Pen: Burke

The Falcons led 15-8 at the interval with tries from Dave Walder and Phil Dowson, Matt Burke adding a conversion and penalty.

But Irish, who had earlier led 8-7 with a Mark Mapletoft penalty and Mike Catt try, fought back on the resumption.

Two more Mapletoft penalties brought it to 14-15 before Hodgson's late score.

He was driven over by his pack five minutes into injury time and replacement Barry Everitt converted to see Irish home.

They looked to have missed their chance when Everitt missed with a drop goal attempt early into added time but one final assault secured their fifth successive win.

You can always have a go at the ref - it's easy - but we have to learn how to close out games that we dominate Newcastle boss Rob Andrew

Mapletoft had been man of the match in Exiles' last three games, but it was his fifth-minute blunder which put his side behind.

He threw out an aimless pass on his own 22m line and Walder gratefully grabbed the interception to run 80m run for a try between the posts.

After Mapletoft's first penalty it was Walder's turn to have an error punished.

The boys knew it was going to be a very tough battle, but we stuck to our guns Irish boss Gary Gold

Hodgson charged down his kick and got away with a knock-on before Catt kicked ahead and marked his 100th Premiership appearance with a touchdown.

Mapletoft, who had landed 16 out of 18 kicks in his previous three matches, missed the conversion and a penalty attempt six minutes later.

Instead the visitors struck twice in first-half injury-time with Burke landing a penalty before the pack drove Dowson over the line after a lineout steal.

Mapletoft pulled two penalties back to cut the deficit to one point and surging runs by replacements Roland Reid and Ryan Strudwick set up the final surge.

London Irish: Horak, Bishop, Appleford, Mapletoft, Staniforth, Catt, Hodgson; Hatley (capt), Paice, Hardwick, Kennedy, Casey, Gustard, Danaher, Murphy.
Replacements: Wheatley, Halsey, Reid, Strudwick, Mordt, Edwards, Everitt.

Newcastle: Burke, May, Noon, Taione, Tait, Walder, Charlton, Peel (capt), Long, Ward, Gross, Hamilton, Sititi, Harris, Dowson.
Replacements: Hurter, Isaacson, Buist, McCarthy, Grindal, Mayerhofler, Stephenson.