Simon Mason collected 17 points to give former club Newcastle a mountain to climb in next week's second leg of this Parker Pen Challenge Cup second round tie.

Mason, who played for the Falcons in the 1990s, scored a try and kicked three conversions and two penalties in the first leg at Stade Comunale di Monigo in Treviso.

Newcastle, who spurned at least five kickable penalties, looked to have done a reasonable enough job when they scored a late try to make it 20-8 but they conceded a third try four minutes into injury time and Mason converted from wide out to give Rob Andrew's side a huge task in the second leg next week at Kingston Park.

The Falcons had held on well early in the match after a fifth-minute Liam Botham penalty for pulling down a maul but they had a real escape when Jamie Noon tried to shepherd the ball into touch on his own 10-metre line only for Gonzalo Canale hacked it on and the full-back did really well to get back and touch down with Canale poised to score.

Then a simple overlap saw Nicola Mazzucato surge over in the corner in the 15th minute and Mason convert from wide out to make it 7-3 and then kicked a 21st-minute penalty when Hall Charlton strayed offside at a scrum.

The half ended with Newcastle on top when Tom May made a break on halfway and Noon should have scored but he stumbled as he went for the corner and although it did look as if he had slid in at the corner, the touch judge gave a line-out.

Newcastle then spurned a kick at goal to drive the line-out and May nearly wriggled through again but lost the ball 10 metres short.

However at the scrum, Treviso dropped it and Botham just missed the kick at goal in the 36th minute.

Newcastle conceded a silly penalty when Noon was caught after allowing the ball to bounce and Mason kicked the 43rd-minute penalty.

Nothing was going Newcastle's way and Nick Makin knocked on 10 metres out as they put together a good attack.

Newcastle could ill afford to squander chances but Mark Wilkinson tried to put a penalty into the corner and kicked into touch in goal to waste another opportunity.

That was underlined when a rolling passage of play soon afterwards saw Mason scamper over from close range in the 61st minute and also convert for a 20-3 lead.

Newcastle spurned another kick at goal to go for the corner and then dropped the ball on the drive and when Tommaso Visentin was yellow-carded for preventing release again, Newcastle turned down the kick at goal and went for the corner.

It kept up the pressure but it was at least 12 points the Falcons had passed up, although it nearly worked when another penalty was kicked deep and Joe Shaw was tackled into touch on the corner flag in the 76th minute.

Newcastle got the try they deserved in the 78th minute with piece of magic from James Grindal who took a penalty quickly and kicked wide for Botham to collect and score.

The try was followed by a punch-up between the sides but the only result was a talking to for both captains.

Having got back into the game, Newcastle then received a body blow when Visentin, returning from the sin-bin, scored in the corner and Mason converted for a 27-8 scoreline which Newcastle did not deserve.