Newcastle produced their best performance of the season to overhaul a 19-point deficit against Treviso at Kingston Park and qualify for the quarter-finals of the Parker Pen Challenge Cup.

The Falcons scored five tries in this second round, second leg tie in driving wind and rain to set a quarter-final against Saracens next month.

Rob Andrew's men, who lost the first leg in Italy 27-8 last week,got the early score they wanted when Jamie Noon broke clear and found Joe Shaw before Phil Dowson drove it on and Hugh Vyvyan crashed over for the try which Liam Botham converted from the touchline.

The Falcons were playing with great gusto and they scored a second try when the forwards hammered away from a line-out drive and then worked it infield.

Phil Godman wriggled and spun out of two tackles to score and Botham again converted to cut the Italians' overall lead to just five points.

That aggregate lead disappeared when Newcastle mounted another furious assault and Mark Wilkinson stepped through the gap to send in Vyvyan for his second try with a delightful inside pass. Botham's conversion gave Newcastle the overall lead by two points.

Then Newcastle won three successive line-outs on the Treviso throw and were awarded a penalty, which they put it into the corner and drove Ian Peel over for their fourth try which Botham converted.

Peel was back again for a second try from another line-out drive to seal the match in the 69th minute although Gonzalo Canale scored a late try for Treviso from a clever kick through from Petrus Smith.