London Irish finally won the forward battle as their pack drove scrum-half
Paul Hodgson over for the winning try five minutes into injury time in this
Zurich Premiership match.
The powerful surge proved too much for Newcastle who had led for most of the
game and replacement Barry Everitt converted to see Irish home by six points.
The home side's last chance looked to have gone when Everitt missed with a
left-foot drop goal attempt a the first minute into injury time.
But they managed to mount one big final assault to secure their fifth
successive victory in league and European competition.
It enabled their former England star Mike Catt to mark his 100th Premiership
appearance - the first 91 were for Bath - with a victory and a try.
Mark Mapletoft weighed in with three penalties and Newcastle replied with
tries by fly-half Dave Walder and number eight Phil Dowson, with former
Australia full-back Matthew Burke contributing a conversion and a penalty.
Mapeltoft had been man of the match in the last three London Irish games but
it was his fifth-minute blunder which put his side behind.
He threw out an aimless pass on his own 22-metre line and Walder gratefully
grabbed the interception to embark on a clear 80-metre run for a try between the
posts.
After Mapeltoft's first penalty it was Walder's turn to have an error
punished.
Irish scrum-half Paul Hodgson charged down his kick and got away with a
knock-on before Catt kicked ahead and pounced to touch down in the 30th minute.
But Mapeltoft, who had landed 16 out of 18 kicks in amassing a personal haul
of 58 points in the previous three matches, missed the conversion and a penalty
attempt six minutes later.
Newcastle struck twice in first-half injury-time with Burke landing a penalty
before the Falcons pack drove Dowson over the line after they seized the ball
from Irish lock Nick Kennedy, who had taken it at the lineout.
Mapeltoft pulled two penalties back to cut the deficit to one point but Irish
were still trailing going into injury time of a match dominated by an untidy
forward battle and marred by too many handling errors.
They had only themselves to blame for their problems, hoisting too many kicks
into the ultra-safe hands of Burke.
But surging runs by replacement forwards Roland Reid and Ryan Strudwick set
them up for the final surge which secured victory.
Teams:
London Irish Horak, Bishop, Appleford, Mapletoft, Staniforth,
Catt, Hodgson, Hatley, Paice, Hardwick, Kennedy, Casey,
Gustard, Danaher, Murphy.
Replacements: Everitt for Horak (71), Mordt for Mapletoft (71),
Strudwick for Kennedy (57), Reid for Murphy (63).
Not Used: Wheatley, Halsey, Edwards.
Tries: Catt, Hodgson. Cons: Everitt.
Pens: Mapletoft 3.
Newcastle: Burke, May, Noon, Taione, Tait, Walder, Charlton,
Peel, Long, Ward, Gross, Hamilton, Sititi, Harris, Dowson.
Replacements: Grindal for Taione (61),
Mayerhofler for Charlton (61), Isaacson for Ward (61),
Buist for Hamilton (61), McCarthy for Sititi (71).
Not Used: Hurter, Stephenson.
Tries: Walder, Dowson.
Cons: Burke.
Pens: Burke.
Att: 9,560
Ref: S Lander (RFU).
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