Newcastle (3) 13
Tries: Fielden Cons: Gopperth Pens: Gopperth 2
Saracens (6) 15
Pens: Goode 5

Goode's winning penalty was greeted with boos from the Falcons' faithful

Alex Goode's last-gasp penalty denied Newcastle a valuable win as Saracens emerged winners in a tight Premiership encounter at Kingston Park.

Goode and Jimmy Gopperth both missed shots at goal before the teams turned around with Saracens 6-3 ahead.

Luke Fielden's try gave Newcastle a 13-9 lead before Goode pulled another three points back for the visitors.

Falcons held on for 15 minutes but conceded a penalty in front of the posts to suffer a cruel defeat.

Saracens took the lead after only two minutes through Goode's boot but Gopperth was unable to level the scores minutes later.

Gcobani Bobo made yards for Falcons in their first serious foray into Sarries territory but the ball was spilled just as the Falcons breached the 22.

Saracens dominated the set piece and it was Noah Cato who made the first line break of the evening before he was hauled down and Newcastle conceded another penalty to drop behind 6-0.

Gopperth hit the post after Luke Eves was tackled high by Andy Saull but made amends shortly after when Sarries were judged to have held on.

Saracens' driving maul earned Goode two more shots at goal before the break but he failed to make either of them count.

The Londoners' forwards kept up their pressure after the break and won another penalty - which Goode converted to re-establish a six-point lead.

But Gopperth hit back as the New Zealander punished his opponents from 40 metres.

Newcastle finally won a line-out and, after Micky Young's initial break, Eves battered his way through the middle to send Fielden galloping in.

Gopperth converted for 13-9 but Goode then slotted his fourth penalty with a quarter-of-an-hour left to play.

Newcastle looked to have kept Saracens out as the visitors continually stalled at taking a drop-goal with six minutes of injury time added.

But referee John Paul Doyle spotted prop Tim Ryan handling in the ruck and as Goode lined up the kicking tee just in front of the posts all inside Kingston Park knew the evening would end in heartbreak.

Newcastle head coach Alan Tait:
"It's massively disappointing because the team put in a massive performance, but we did let them get back into the danger zone. I've told them to just leave the ball alone when they are in those positions.

"Tim [Ryan] knows it was a stupid act. He's gutted, he knows he's let himself and his team-mates down and he's stood up in the changing room and held his hands up.

"He knows what he's done, but we'll not carry that baggage and we have to move on. It's not just Tim to blame, we talked about not giving away penalties and we have to cut them out.

"It's a learning curve and a very hard one. They say it's tough at the top, but it's even tougher at the bottom."

Saracens director of rugby Brendan Venter:
"The players kept it going for the whole 80 minutes and they never let their heads drop."

Newcastle: Tait; Fielden, Bobo, Eves, Amesbury; Gopperth, Young; Brookes, Vickers (capt), Ryan; Townson, Swinson, Wilson, Pennycook, Hogg.

Replacements: Catterick for A. Tait (73), Pilgrim for Young (68), Levi for Townson (32), B. Wilson for M. Wilson (73).

Saracens: Wyles; Strettle, Ratuvou, Barritt, Cato; Goode, De Kock; Carstens, Brits, Nieto; Borthwick (capt), Smith; Brown, Saull, Joubert.

Replacements: Wigglesworth for de Kock (51), Reynecke for Brits (39), Vyvyan for Smith (41), Mordt for Saull (51).

Sin Bin: Brits (59).

Att: 5,391

Ref: John Paul Doyle (RFU).

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