Newcastle exited the EDF Energy Cup despite beating Harlequins at Kingston Park.

The Falcons needed to score four tries for a five-point win, and for the result between Llanelli and Sale to go their way, to progress to the knock-out stages.

They also needed the Scarlets to win at Edgeley Park with no bonus point to either side, and Sale's 21-5 win made anything Newcastle did inconsequential.

Newcastle also made the calculations unnecessary when they scored only three of the four tries needed.

They could hardly have made a worse start, conceding 10 points early on as Andrew Mehrtens kicked a penalty in the first minute and winger Adam Thompstone crossed in the corner, with Mehrtens adding the conversion.

A spectacular break from his own 22 by England centre Mathew Tait ended with Loki Crichton throwing out a long pass for Tim Visser to score in the corner for the home side, and Tait's England team-mate Flood kicked a touchline conversion in the 21st minute.

Then Visser cut through and Joe Shaw's inside pass opened the way for lock Jason Oakes to rumble over.

Another Flood conversion put Newcastle 14-10 up and halfway towards the four-try bonus target.

Quins controversially went back in front when Thompstone chased Mehrtens' kick and the winger's hack forward completely eluded the desperate Newcastle cover.

However Thompstone appeared to put a foot over the dead ball line as he dotted down for the try.

Newcastle made just as slow a start to the second half as they had in the first, and it looked like Simon Miall had increased the Harlequins lead when he scrambled over in the corner.

However the big second-row forward lost the ball going over the line and Newcastle were happy to clear from the scrum before conceding a penalty by Mehrtens on halfway which made it 18-14 to Harlequins.

Falcons substitute John Rudd made two powerful runs, and the second saw the winger blast through for Newcastle's third try, converted by Flood.

That score put the four-try win within sight with just under 20 minutes left.

However, Newcastle could not engineer another breakthrough, with Quins doggedly defending and happy to smash the ball downfield at every opportunity.