Premiership: Newcastle Falcons 12-17 London Wasps

Ashley Johnson

Ashley Johnson and Sam Jones ran over tries for London Wasps at Kingston Park to condemn Newcastle Falcons to their fifth consecutive defeat.

Wasps raced into a 17-0 lead and took their foot off the gas, but Newcastle never really looked like forcing their way back into the contest.

A crumb of comfort for the Falcons was registering their first league try since October through Noah Cato, while Will Welch crossed late on.

Wasps climb to sixth in the table.

Veteran fly-half Andy Goode kicked a penalty and two conversions for Wasps.

After a slow start the game exploded into life in the 13th minute when Joe Launchbury charged down a Chris Pilgrim kick. The ball rebounded off the post before Jones picked it up and dived over the line.

Andy Goode made no mistake with the conversion on his 200th Premiership appearance, and the veteran fly-half increased Wasps' lead with the boot shortly before the break when he kicked over a penalty.

Wasps continued to dominate after the interval and their pressure told in the 54th minute when Johnson barged his way over following a powerful driving maul, and Goode, 33, once again added the extras.

However six minutes later Newcastle replied through Cato to score the Falcons' first try since a 13-11 win over London Irish two months ago.

Fly-half Phil Godman delayed his pass to Alex Tait who then fed the ball back inside for Cato to go over.

Newcastle's pressure saw Wasps' James Haskell sin-binned and the hosts added a second try at the death when Welch buried his way over and Godman kicked the straightforward conversion.

Despite defeat, the Falcons will be encouraged by scoring two rare tries and will hope the Christmas Eve addition of Samoa wing Sinoti Sinoti, who has signed a six-month deal, further boosts their creativity.

LINE-UPS

Newcastle Falcons: Tait; Cato, Helleur, Fitzpatrick, Shortland; Godman, Fury; Vickers, Lawson, Brookes; del Fava, McKenzie; Mayhew, Welch, Hogg.

Replacements: McGuigan, Montanella, Tomaszczyk, Tomes, M. Wilson, Pilgrim, Clegg, Barnes.

London Wasps: Daly; Helu, Bell, Hayter, Varndell; Goode, Davies; Mullan, Festuccia, Cooper-Woolley; Palmer, Launchbury; Johnson, Haskell, Jones.

Replacements: Lindsay, Vea, Swainston, Cannon, Jackson, Simpson, Carlisle, Suniula.

Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)