Steve Diamond credited the fight and cohesion of his Newcastle Falcons troops on Saturday as they ended their Gallagher Premiership season with a 42-20 loss at semi-finalists Leicester Tigers.

Speaking after the encounter at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, the director of rugby said: “I’ve had loads of good hidings here with Sale Sharks and it’s always a tough place to come, but the mind-set in the group has been great.

“The lads’ attitude in the build-up was really good and I thought we fronted up today, scoring a couple of good tries and showing lots of character.

“Callum Chick was always going to be a big loss but I thought Freddie Lockwood was exceptional at No.8 in his absence, and the lads around him stood up.

“Leicester had vast Premiership and international experience to call upon, which was always going to be important, but I can’t criticise our guys.”

Diamond added: “Up against bigger and more experienced opponents with a double World Cup winner at fly-half, it was always going to be a huge ask. But we stuck to the gameplan by and large, we battled against a couple of early injuries and a number of our young lads took their opportunity.

“I keep saying we’re a ‘nearly’ team because we’ve got errors in our game, and the only way you can fundamentally change that is by adding some better playing and coaching into the mix. We know that, and we’re working on it behind the scenes, but there’s definitely something to build on.

“I thought our away supporters were superb, they came down in decent numbers and really got behind the team, and it just shows what passion there is for rugby in the region. I want to thank our supporters because they’ve been fantastic with us all year, and it’s massively appreciated.”

Ending the season bottom of the Premiership table, Diamond remains confident that brighter things are around the corner for the league’s most northerly side.

“It’s been a tough season from a results standpoint but the mood in the camp is really positive, and I feel like we’re building something,” he said.

“We’ll go away now for a few weeks to refresh, then come back flying into pre-season. The lads who are still with us, of course. It’s the end of an era for a lot of the group, who have been great to work with, and there a lot of positive things happening behind the scenes.

“There’s a new long-term TV deal with TNT Sports, the long-term deal with the RFU and the clubs, positive numbers regarding audiences at games and on television, and major investors showing an interest. That all bodes well for the sport, and I’m really upbeat about where we can take it.”