NEWCASTLE FALCONS ended their Anglo-Welsh Cup campaign on a high as they ground out a 16-15 victory over Bath at Kingston Park.

Falcons went into their final group game knowing they had no chance of making the semi-finals, but Dean Richards was still able to give some of his returning players a much-needed run out ahead of Friday’s trip to Sale Sharks, which marks the resumption of the Aviva Premiership campaign.

After a scoreless opening half-hour, Bath claimed the lead when Adam Hastings slotted a penalty, but Craig Willis ensured parity at the interval when he scored a three-pointer of his own.

A second Willis penalty edged Falcons ahead after the break, but Bath hit back as Jack Wilson crossed in the corner for the game’s first try.

Willis’ third penalty put the hosts back in front, but Bath looked to have done enough when replacement scrum-half Will Homer dotted down in the left corner.

Ben Sowrey’s sin-binning reduced Falcons to 14 men, but there was a dramatic late twist when Zach Kibirige burst through to score a try that was successfully converted by Willis.

“It’s probably the first time we’ve played badly and won, so in that respect I was really pleased to come away with the result,” said Richards. “It shows the confidence within the team that we can come back from six points down and get the win, and I was really pleased by that.

“There were a lot of boys coming back from injury, some who hadn’t played much together, and it was always going to be scrappy. That was the case for both sides, but our goal was to win and that’s what we did.”

Darlington Mowden Park claimed a losing bonus point in National One, but were still left frustrated as they slipped to a 20-17 home defeat at the hands of Plymouth Albion.

Mowden were handed an early advantage when Plymouth fly-half Dean Squire was sent to the sin bin, but Josh Bragman missed the resultant penalty and Albion shrugged off their man disadvantage as winger Robin Wedlake-Millecam squeezed over from close range.

Matt Shepherd converted, and things got worse for Mowden visiting skipper Michael Stupple was able to celebrate a pushover try.

Adam Radwan’s first-half try hauled the hosts back into the game, and after Callum Mackenzie scored within minutes of coming on as a replacement, Mowden found themselves just 14-12 down at the break.

They claimed the lead at the start of the second half as number eight Matt Heaton crossed for a try, but were unable to press home their advantage and ceded the lead as Shepherd’s two second-half penalties for Plymouth proved decisive.

Blaydon were always likely to have a thankless task against runaway league leaders Hartpury College, and so it proved as they crashed to an 80-19 defeat.

A weakened Blaydon team featuring two debutants conceded three tries in the opening 11 minutes and were unable to turn things around from that point onwards. Frazer Wilson and Joe Melia scored Blaydon’s tries.

Tynedale suffered a 30-17 home defeat to Caldy in National Two North, while in a truncated fixture list, Guisborough lost 36-10 to Huddersfield YMCA in North One East. Barnard Castle thrashed Ryton 64-10 in Durham and Northumberland One.