Falcons 10 Bath 17
Level 7-7 at half-time, Bath mounted a second-half resurgence to take their first away win of the season.
The home had side started positively and scored the game’s opening try inside eight minutes, winning a penalty on halfway and kicking it to touch for a lineout on the 22.
Winning quick ball at the back they ran a hard line down the middle and quickly spun the ball right, where Adam Radwan contorted his body for a remarkable aerial finish to ground the ball just inside the corner flag under heavy defensive pressure.
Connon added the touchline conversion, and his side remained in the ascendancy for the opening quarter without managing to add to their lead.
The closest they came was an attack in the right corner, again from a line-out 25 metres out, as midfield runs from Freddie Lockwood and George Wacokecoke got them to within striking distance without quite managing to land the knock-out punch.
A string of line-out steals from Sebastian de Chaves gave Newcastle possession which they could not turn into points, and the teams were level at half-time when Ted Hill’s converted try from a pick-and-go in the right corner got them off the mark.
The Falcons emerged with gusto for the second half and showed energy in defence by thwarting a number of Bath attacks – Michael Young winning a vital jackal turnover inside his own 22.
Connon fired just wide from 40 metres out with a penalty attempt as the sides remained tied at 7-7, his side forced into a back-line reshuffle following the departure of centres Pete Lucock and George Wacokecoke.
Replacement fly-half Billy Searle struck a 54th-minute penalty to put his side in front, and they extended that margin to double figures on the hour mark when Ollie Lawrence scored a converted try in the left corner from a diagonal grubber kick.
Newcastle mounted a late assault and at least earned themselves a bonus point, Brett Connon holding his nerve with a penalty from the right.
**Newcastle Falcons:** 15 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 14 Adam Radwan, 13 George Wacokecoke (Tian Schoeman, 50), 12 Pete Lucock (Tom Penny, 40), 11 Ben Stevenson, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Michael Young (captain, Sam Stuart, 60); 1 Adam Brocklebank (Phil Brantingham, 55), 2 Jamie Blamire (George McGuigan, 55), 3 Richard Palframan (Mark Tampin, 61), 4 Matthew Dalton (George Merrick, 36), 5 Sebastian de Chaves, 6 Freddie Lockwood (Guy Pepper, 65), 7 Connor Collett, 8 Callum Chick.
**Scorers -** Tries: Adam Radwan. Conversions: Brett Connon. Penalties: Brett Connon.
**Bath Rugby:** 15 Matt Gallagher, 14 Gabriel Hamer-Webb, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Max Ojomoh, 11 Ruaridh McConnochie, 10 George Worboys (Billy Searle, 52), 9 Max Green; 1 Valeriy Morozov (Arthur Cordwell, 50), 2 Tom Dunn (captain), 3 D’Arcy Rae (Johannes Jonker, 73), 4 Fergus Lee-Warner, 5 Quinn Roux, 6 Ted Hill, 7 Miles Reid, 8 Richard de Carpentier (Josh Bayliss, 65).
**Scorers -** Tries: Ted Hill, Ollie Lawrence. Conversions: George Worboys, Billy Searle. Penalties: Billy Searle.
**Referee:** Hamish Smales. **Attendance:** 4,016.
