A performance dripping with guts, passion and desire earned Newcastle Falcons a crucial victory over Gloucester in the Aviva Premiership, as the Kingston Park outfit extended their unbeaten run to five games on home soil.

Tries from Jordi Pasqualin and James Fitzpatrick coupled with a string of Jimmy Gopperth penalties secured precious Premiership points to well and truly kick-start the northeasterners’ domestic campaign.

Falcons fans had to have nerves of steel as Alan Tait’s men triumphed by the thinnest of margins in a compelling encounter ahead of a two-week break from the Premiership.

Tait’s side can host Toulon in the Amlin Challenge Cup on Thursday night safe in the knowledge that they have done their bit to help their charge up the Premiership table.

Newcastle had to come from behind as early as the first minute after Olly Morgan sliced through the Falcons’ defence to touchdown in the corner despite the attentions of Gopperth.

Freddie Burns nailed his touchline conversion to give the Cherry and Whites a 7-0 lead on a bitterly cold evening in the North East.

Not deterred by the early set-back the Falcons reduced the deficit with a Gopperth penalty before former Gloucester man Pasqualin stormed in for a well-worked try.

Hooker Michael Mayhew snapped up the ball from the ruck and scooted through a gap to feed Pasqualin who sprinted clear to cross the whitewash in style.

Kiwi Gopperth made no mistake with the extras and the Falcons were back in business to the delight of the passionate home crowd.

10-7 in front Newcastle went in search of more points but it was the away side that levelled the score through a Burns penalty on 14 minutes.

Burns repeated the feat six minutes later to edge the West Countryman into a 13-10 lead before winger James Simpson-Daniel waltzed in for a try.

Simpson-Daniel evaded two would-be Falcons tacklers to touchdown in the corner to extend his side’s advantage to 20-10.

However, after Gloucester’s Alasdair Strokosch was sin-binned for a trip on Gopperth the game turned on its head with local-boy Fitzpatrick scoring a vital try just minutes before the break.

The no-nonsense Shieldsman took the ball on the bounce and powered his muscular frame to the line with the majority of onlookers in the terraces willing him on.

Euphoria ensued with Fitzpatrick enjoying his moment with the fans in the South Stand before Gopperth converted a simple effort in front of the sticks.

Bryan Redpath’s unit went into the break with a slender 20-17 lead but that would all change in the second period.

Newcastle came out all guns blazing in the second stanza with Gopperth expertly despatching a series of penalties to put his side 26-20 ahead.

Scott Lawson did make it a nervy last quarter of the game with a try following an effective rolling maul but Burns failed with the conversion.

That miss meant the Falcons still had the initiative at 26-25 and despite Gopperth skewing a penalty wide of the uprights in the closing stages, the Tyneside club managed to see out the remainder of the game to win by just a point.

Punching the air with delight, Falcons players hugged one another as the tight-knit group grabbed all the plaudits.

The new signings of Taiasina Tu’ifua, Suka Hufanga and Adriaan Fondse all hit the ground running with solid performances for their new club.

Man-of-the-match Andrew van der Heijden put his body on the line as did many of his teammates, with a series of smashes on the opposition with the Falcons backline showing promise in attack.

Tickets are still available for Thursday’s Amlin Challenge Cup match against Toulon at Kingston Park (kick-off 8pm) which will see the return of Jonny Wilkinson to his old stomping ground.

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Newcastle: Goosen; Hufanga, Uys, Fitzpatrick, Shortland; Gopperth, Pasqualin; Shiells, Mayhew, Murray; Hudson (capt), Van der Heijden; Tuifua, Welch, Hogg.

Replacements: Helleur for Uys (55), Pilgrim for Pasqualin (60), Wells for Shiells (63), Graham for M. Mayhew (60), Fondse for van der Heijden (55), Wilson for Tu'ifua (65). Not Used: Frazier, Catterick.

Gloucester: Morgan; Simpson-Daniel, Tindall, Fuimaono-Sapolu, Voyce; Burns, Lewis; Wood, Lawson, Harden; James, Hamilton; Strokosch, Qera, Narraway (capt).

Replacements: Trinder for Tindall (70). Not Used: Cortese, Murphy, Chistolini, Deacon, R. Lawson, Taylor, Knight.

Sin Bin: Strokosch (33).

Att: 4,111

Referee: Greg Garner (RFU).