Premiership: Newcastle Falcons 10-17 Bath - Ollie Lawrence try clinches scrappy win

Ollie Lawrence's first try of the season sealed Bath's victory

Bath secured back-to-back wins as they edged past fellow strugglers Newcastle 17-10 at Kingston Park.

Ted Hill cancelled out Adam Radwan's acrobatic finish to bring Bath level at the break after a scrappy first half.

Billy Searle's penalty put the visitors ahead for the first time shortly after the Falcons lost centre George Wacokecoke to a serious leg injury.

Ollie Lawrence claimed the crucial try before Brett Connon's last-gasp penalty gave the hosts a losing bonus point.

• Premiership standings

An attritional match reflected the conditions and the struggles of two sides who kicked off with just one Premiership win apiece this season.

Newcastle have now won just once in their past 11 Premiership outings, going back to last season, and remain bottom of the pile, while Bath leapfrog West Country rivals Bristol into eighth.

The afternoon had started so well for the Falcons who led within seven minutes when Michael Young's floated pass gave Radwan enough space for an acrobatic diving finish in the corner.

Adam Radwan's acrobatic finish gave him a second try of the season

Playing in teeming rain, the hosts continued to have the better of a disjointed first half and forced a string of penalties, but errors prevented them extending their lead.

Twice they kicked for the corner instead of the posts, but knocked on at the first line-out before Bath's hard-working defence turned over the second.

The visitors gradually eased into the game and cashed in on their let-offs with a sustained spell of pressure, capped by Hill's close-range finish from a pick-and-go.

After the break, Connon's 40-metre penalty attempt drifted wide and the hosts then lost centre Wacokecoke who was stretchered off after a lengthy delay with a suspected leg fracture.

Both sides continued to struggle for fluency, but it was Bath who took control as Searle nudged them ahead on his debut, before Max Ojomoh's slide-rule grubber kick allowed Lawrence to dive over in the corner.

A little gloom was lifted when Connon's kick earned the Falcons a point after Matt Gallagher's shoulder had brought down a flying Radwan.

Newcastle Falcons head coach Dave Walder:

"I thought our basics from the playing side of things weren't what they needed to be, and conditions were tough.

"I thought we started the game pretty well but weren't clinical, we had a couple of opportunities where I think if we'd managed to score or take the points, things might've been a little bit different.

"But we've made our decisions and put ourselves under pressure.

"In the second half, when things were going against us, again, a lack of basics really, really cost us."

Bath director of rugby Johann van Graan:

"Yeah, I am very happy. It was not the best game of rugby, but we managed the conditions pretty well, more specifically in the second half.

"Our game management was good once we went 10 points up, we played in the right part of the pitch and didn't really give them entries.

"It's our first away win of the season and a huge step in the right direction.

"I think to be fair, both teams tried to play, it is just a lot of areas on this 4G pitch were wet which makes the ball wet."

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Newcastle: Obatoyinbo, Radwan, Wacokecoke, Lucock, Stevenson, Connon, Young; Brocklebank, Blamire, Palframan, Dalton, de Chaves, Lockwood, Collett, Chick.

Replacements: McGuigan, Brantingham, Tampin, Merrick, Pepper, Stuart, Schoeman, Penny.

Bath: Gallagher, Hamer-Webb, Lawrence, Ojomoh, McConnochie, Worboys, Green; Morozov, Dunn, Rae, Lee-Warner, Roux, Hill, Reid, de Carpentier.

Replacements: Annett, Cordwell, Jonker, Ellis, Bayliss, Carr-Smith, Searle, Joseph.

Referee: Hamish Smales (RFU).

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