Premiership: Wasps 19-20 Newcastle - Falcons boost survival hopes with victory

Newcastle have now won five Premiership games this season

Brett Connon boosted Newcastle's hopes of avoiding relegation after landing a match-winning penalty at Wasps with the final kick of the game.

Wasps led 6-3 at half-time, only for Nemani Nagusa and Tane Takulua tries to put Newcastle 17-9 up after the hour.

Rob Miller, however, edged Wasps back ahead with his fifth kick of the day as he converted Ben Harris' try.

In a dramatic finish as the game went beyond 80 minutes, Connon's kick moved Falcons within three points of safety.

Falcons' second win in as many weeks has considerably improved their prospects of survival, having been nine points adrift at the bottom before overcoming nearest rivals Worcester Warriors a week earlier.

Wasps' third successive defeat leaves them seventh in the table and in serious danger of missing out on the play-offs for the first time in four seasons.

• Worcester 30-33 Exeter

• Northampton 24-26 Bristol

• Premiership table

Newcastle, who finished just one place below Wasps in the play-off places last season, suffered a double blow as the hosts took the lead - Miller slotting his first kick just as Falcons captain Will Welch was helped off the field injured.

Takulua levelled moments later with a penalty of his own after Newcastle's first incursion into their attacking 22 and, despite Wasps' dominance of the ball and territory, they had to wait until the 37th minute to restore their slender lead in an evenly balanced game.

Newcastle were relentless as they pressed for a try early in the second half, going close a number of times before Nagusa snuck over.

Miller then landed his third kick but, after Will Rowlands was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on, Newcastle made their numerical advantage count with Takulua going over.

Another Miller kick kept Wasps in touch, and when he added the extras following Harris' try they reclaimed the lead.

In a dramatic final 10 minutes Juan de Jongh had a Wasps try ruled out by the television match official, and Toby Flood was off target with a Newcastle penalty before Connon sealed victory and left Wasps with a losing bonus point for their efforts.

Wasps boss Dai Young:

"Whether we deserved it or not is immaterial. With two minutes left and you have the ball, you have to see the game out.

"That's the frustrating factor for me. I'm not going to sit here and pretend we were far better than them because I don't think we were.

"When you have that lead with two minutes to go, you have to see that game out. We failed to do that. We've been in that position twice lately. That's what I've said to the players.

"We have to look at why they were in our 22 through our mistakes."

Newcastle Falcons boss Dean Richards:

"In the second half, we came out and held on to the ball much better and, as a result, we looked more dangerous than they did.

"Having said that, you've still got to take advantage of it and we fluffed a couple of chances which meant we left tries out there.

"You're always in with a shout if you're within a couple of points with a few minutes to go, especially if your carriers are then able to put you in the right positions and get over the gain-line on a consistent basis, so we thought we always had a chance of getting a try or a penalty."

Wasps: Le Roux; Watson, De Jongh, Lovobalavu, Bassett; Miller, Simpson; Harris, Taylor, Stuart, Rowlands, Gaskell, Johnson, J Willis, Carr.

Replacements: Cruse, West, Alo, Matthews, Morris, Hampson, Umaga, Neal.

Newcastle Falcons: Hammersley; Kibirige, Williams, Matavesi, Sinoti; Flood, Takulua; Lockwood, McGuigan, Mulipola, Green, Davidson, Welch, G Graham, Chick.

Replacements: Cooper, Brocklebank, D. Wilson, Olmstead, Nagusa, Stuart, Connon, Bettencourt.

Referee: Tom Foley.

For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.