Newcastle destroyed Sale up front to clinch a bonus-point 39-19 LV= Cup win at Kingston Park.

The Falcons scored five tries, four of them in the first half to wrap up the try bonus point and Sale had no answer to the effectiveness of the hosts' forwards and some clinical finishing.

It was Newcastle's first win in the competition this season and will probably not be enough for them to qualify for the knock-out stages, while Sale similarly will be hard pressed to go through after this defeat.

It was a penalty-strewn match in which four players - three from Sale and one from Newcastle - were sin-binned, but there were some fluid and exciting attacks from both sides with Newcastle's edge up front the key.

Newcastle's propensity to give away soft penalties gifted Sale 12 points in the first half and they presented Sale with an easy scoring chance as early as the fourth minute in front of the posts for not rolling away.

Joe Ford knocked it over and the Sale fly-half added three more in the 15th, 19th and 37th minutes before becoming the second Sale player shown a yellow card.

When they were on the attack Newcastle were irresistible and they crossed the Sale line five times in the first half, four of them for tries and one chalked off when the ball was spilled.

There were a couple of runs from Falcons winger Lee Smith and then Anitelea Tuilagi's bustling breaks took play close to the Sale line.

It cost scrum half Nathan Fowles 10 minutes in the sin-bin when he tried to stop the pick-up and drive and Sale seven points as Newcastle immediately went to the corner with the penalty and drove prop Alex Rogers over for a try converted by Rory Clegg in the ninth minute.

Ford kicked two penalties in four minutes for not releasing and pulling down the maul to put Sale back in front 9-7 and Newcastle nearly scored from another catch and drive and then ran the resulting penalty for Josh Furno to get over the line but lose the ball in the touchdown.

A clever break from Alex Tait gave Lee Smith an easy score in the 25th minute and then number eight Uili Kolo'ofai burst through from the ruck for a powerful try three minutes later which Clegg converted for 19-9.

Just before half-time another soft penalty in front of the posts saw Ford make it 19-12 but he was then sin-binned for a ruck offence spotted by the touch judge and Newcastle promptly drove Furno over for the fourth try and the bonus point, plus a Clegg conversion for a 26-12 lead.

Newcastle nearly had a fifth try five minutes into the second half with a great Ally Hogg offload in the middle of the field and Jamie Helleur scorched away only to be caught just inside the Sale 22 and the ball ended up being knocked on, much to Sale's relief.

Lock George Nott then joined Ford in the sin bin for another ruck infringement and Sale were down to 13 for a short while after Clegg made it 29-12 with the penalty in the 47th minute and then added another in the 60th minute for 32-12, with the Falcons pack in total control even with Sale back up to full strength.

Newcastle's final try came after another Hogg charge which led to a penalty quickly taken by Smith, the winger stretching over despite a couple of tacklers for his second try. Phil Godman converted for 39-12.

With ten minutes left Falcons flanker Andy Saull was shown the yellow card for infringing at a driving maul on the line and Sale promptly scored from a line-out drive through number eight Viliami Fihaki. Nick Macleod converted to make the final score 39-19.