Newcastle hold on to stun Gloucester

Adam Radwan set Falcons on their way with his third try of the season

Gloucester suffered back-to-back defeats as strugglers Newcastle claimed a surprise 27-21 win at Kingsholm.

Tom Seabrook's try gave the hosts hope and Cameron Jordan crossed with Newcastle down to 13 to make it 24-14.

But Brett Connon's penalty extended the lead and the Falcons held on despite a conceding a penalty try which saw them reduced to 13 men for a second time.

After picking up four yellow cards in the final 24 minutes, Newcastle withstood terrific late pressure to secure only their second Premiership win of the season, which lifts them off the bottom and above London Irish and Bristol.

But it was a disappointing afternoon for the Kingsholm faithful who saw a sloppy first half punished with a first home defeat of the season and back-to-back losses, which followed four straight wins.

• Latest Premiership table
• Listen: Latest Rugby Union podcast

Looking for a reaction after a dismal home defeat by Bath, Newcastle started superbly and were rewarded when Radwan outpaced the home defence with an arcing run to the corner.

The Premiership's lowest try-scorers had a second inside 14 minutes as the dozing hosts were caught out by a short line-out throw, which released Michael Young to feed the supporting Chick.

The Cherry and Whites looked rattled as their usually watertight set-piece faltered, underscored when an attacking 5m line-out was stolen by the Falcons.

Newcastle took advantage of a mounting penalty count as Connon's boot punished Santiago Socino's no-arms tackle, before McGuigan splintered off the back of a maul to cross from an attacking line-out.

Seabrook finally gave Gloucester some momentum from a 5m line-out, the wing following up Charlie Chapman's dart down the blind side to power past two tackles and cross.

Heading into the final quarter, Newcastle began to buckle as the Cherry and Whites cranked up the pressure.

McGuigan was shown a yellow card for collapsing a maul as it rolled over the line, and five minutes later he was joined in the sin-bin by Sean Robinson.

Having been held up over the line moments earlier, Jordan dived over to cut the gap to 10 points with 17 minutes left, but another soft penalty proved critical as Connon booted Newcastle further ahead.

The Falcons returned to full strength but almost immediately lost Chick to the bin. Moments later Tom Penny followed him for an infringement which gave the hosts their penalty try.

Yet somehow Newcastle's 13 men saw out a frantic final seven minutes.

Gloucester: Moyle, Seabrook, Reeves, Twelvetrees, Morris, Evans,Chapman; Elrington, Socino, Balmain, Clarke, Davidson, Reid, Ludlow, Ackermann.

Replacements: Singleton, Knight, Gotovtsev, Jordan, Clement, Meehan, Barton, Hearle.

Newcastle Falcons: Obatoyinbo, Radwan, Stevenson, Penny, Earle, Connon, Young; 1 Mulipola, McGuigan, Palframan, Merrick, de Chaves, Lockwood, Pepper, Chick.

Replacements: Blamire, Brocklebank, Tampin, Peters, Robinson, Stuart, Schoeman, Greenlaw.

Sin-bin: McGuigan (56), Robinson (61), Chick (72), Penny (73).

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe.