GIVEN their position at the foot of the Aviva Premiership table, two points are not to be sniffed at for Newcastle Falcons. But after a wonderfully committed display against league leaders Harlequins at Kingston Park, Gary Gold's side will be pondering what might have been.

Leading as they entered the final minute, Falcons looked like closing the gap to their closest relegation rivals, London Wasps, to two points.

But as the pressure of trying to cope with just 14 men following the sin-binning of hooker Rob Vickers told, the concession of a penalty enabled Quins fly-half Nick Evans to tie the scores with the final kick of the game.

As a result, the gap to Wasps is four points, and the London side can extend their advantage when they entertain London Irish this afternoon.

Nevertheless, with five matches to go, this was a performance that suggests Falcons are not dead yet. Jimmy Gopperth's three penalties secured parity on the scoreboard, but it was Newcastle's determination and resolve that augurs well for the games that remain. Five more performances like this, and the Falcons could yet retain their top-flight status.

Last night's performance was all the more creditable given that it was achieved without the hosts' first-choice props, who both dropped out with injury on the day of the game.

Their absence looked like telling early on, with Falcons' forwards penalised for a third-minute infringement at the scrum as the power of Harlequins' front row told. Evans, probably the most consistent fly-half in the country this season, slotted the penalty.

Newcastle have their own stand-out number ten though, and perhaps predictably, it was Gopperth that ensured his side remained more than competitive.

The New Zealander's kicking game is as good as anyone's, and after a superb touch-finder took Falcons deep into the Quins 22, some slick line-out work forced a penalty that Gopperth converted to level the scores.

Parity lasted until the interval, and it is to Newcastle's credit that they remained on level terms as long as they did given that their indiscipline reared its head once more. Having seen two players sin-binned during last weekend's heavy defeat at Leicester, another player departed 18 minutes into last night's game.

This time it was scrum-half Chris Pilgrim, guilty of tackling an opponent off the ball, but Evans passed up an opportunity to punish Falcons with a penalty that rebounded off both a post and the crossbar.

Perhaps Harlequins would have generated more rhythm had the game not been held up for more than quarter-of-an-hour when their hooker, Chris Brooker, dislocated his knee.

As it was, Newcastle not only held out with 14 men, they would have claimed the lead had Gopperth not become the second player to strike an upright when he took aim from long range after a spell of good work from the home side's pack.

Both fly-halves missed another penalty attempt before the break, but Evans finally found his range within four minutes of the interval after Falcons were penalised for not clearing away.

With a succession of stoppages halting the game's flow, Newcastle contained the occasional attack in which Quins threatened to string the phases together.

They rarely threatened with ball in hand themselves, but a smart break from James Fitzpatrick helped establish the field position from which Gopperth landed his second penalty to tie the scores at 6-6.

Given Harlequins' position at the top of the table, Newcastle's defensive efforts were arguably as good as anything they have produced all season, with both centres in particular delivering a succession of powerful hits.

Their commitment should have been rewarded shortly after when pressure upfield forced a intemperate reaction from visiting prop Joe Marler, but Gopperth pulled a kickable penalty attempt wide.

Indiscipline crept back into the home side's ranks when Vickers was sin-binned for throwing a punch in the aftermath of a scrum – hardly the way the hooker would have chosen to have marked his 100th appearance for Falcons – but Newcastle claimed the lead for the first time when Gopperth finally rediscovered his range from 40 yards out with eight minutes left.

They were unable to hold on to it, with Evans snatching a draw when his 80th-minute kick sailed over from the right touchline.

NEWCASTLE FALCONS: Goosen (Tait 54), Bedford, Helleur (Wilson 78), Fitzpatrick, Manning, Gopperth, Pilgrim (Chudley 65); Golding, Vickers, Hall, Fondse (Goode 54), Swinson, Tu'ifua (Balding 54), Welch (Mayhew 76), Hogg.

Replacements (not used): Shiells, Wells.

HARLEQUINS: Brown, Williams, Lowe, Turner-Hall, Monye (Hopper 76), Evans, Care (Dickson 54); Marler, Brooker (Buchanan 24), Johnston, Kohn (Browne 41), Vallejos, Guest (Skinner 65), Wallace, Easter.

Replacements (not used): Lambert, Fairbrother, Clegg.