Flood had a good day with the boot for the Falcons

Newcastle (14) 21
Try: Visser, Oakes, Rudd.
Cons: Flood (3)

Harlequins (15) 18
Try: Thompstone (2)
Pens: Mehrtens (2)
Cons: Mehrtens

Newcastle bowed out of the Anglo-Welsh Cup despite a narrow victory over Premiership rivals Harlequins.

The home side struggled early on with Andrew Mehrtens kicking a penalty and then converting Adam Thompstone's try.

But Tim Visser cut the lead and then helped set up lock Jason Oakes with Toby Flood kicking both conversions.

Thompstone's second try gave Quins the lead again before substitute John Rudd broke through for the match-winning score for the Falcons.

"We didn't start well and that gave Harlequins the early momentum but we didn't panic and came back," he said.

"Ultimately, it was a very frustrating day, We scored three tries and should have scored more.

"We upped the pace but didn't achieve our goal of four tries which is frustrating regardless of the result."

Newcastle: Crichton; Elliott, Tait, Shaw, Visser; Flood, Grindal; McDonnell (capt), Thompson, Ward, Sorenson, Oakes, Wilson, Harris, Winter.
Replacements: Golding, Long, McCarthy, Gesinde, Rudd, Dickson, Dillon.

Harlequins: Williams; Thompstone, Deane, Abbott, Keogh; Mehrtens, Care; Croall, Richards, Ward, Evans, Miall, Sherriff, Skinner, Guest.
Replacements: Hayter, Nebbett, Robson, Burgess, So'oialo, McMullen, Jewell.