Newcastle Falcons returned to winning ways as they held on to beat the Premiership's bottom club Gloucester.

England winger Jonny May got one back, converted by Lloyd Evans, who added pressure with a second-half penalty.

But Brett Connon's penalty and George McGuigan's injury-time try made victory safe and moved Falcons temporarily top.

McGuigan's try denied Gloucester even a losing bonus point.

Gloucester stay bottom, three points adrift of London Irish and Worcester, whose four points from their cancelled Covid-hit game with Harlequins lifted them off the foot of the table last weekend.

But, after narrow back-to-back defeats by reigning champions Exeter and last week in particularly luckless circumstances at home to Sale, the Cherry and Whites were once again cursing after a game they could have won.

Newcastle, whose fourth win in five league games put them top of the table for a couple of hours, finished the day in second place after Bristol's win at champions Exeter.

The north-east weather could have been a threat to the game taking place after Kingston Park's artificial surface was left covered by considerable snowfall on Thursday night.

But the Falcons took just three minutes to feel pleased they had got the game on when Radwan cashed in on a turnover to gallop from within five metres of his own line, leaving even the fleet-footed May flat-footed as he tried to tackle him.

They got a second after 14 minutes, when Orlando watched in delight as space opened up in front of him from the restart following Evans' missed penalty - and he had time to walk in from 15 yards out.

It was a first try for the club for the summer signing, on only his second start following his pre-Christmas arrival.

Newcastle: Penny; Radwan, Orlando, Flood, Stevenson; Connon, Stuart; Davison, Blamire, Mulipola, Peterson, Fuser, Robinson, Wilson (capt), Graham.

Replacements: McGuigan, Brocklebank, Tampin, Barry, Van der Walt, Schreuder, Hodgson, Wacokecoke.

Gloucester: Moyle, Rees-Zammit, Harris, Atkinson, May; Evans, Simpson; Rapava-Ruskin, Hanson, Balmain, Garvey, Alemanno, Craig, Ludlow (capt), Ackermann.

Replacements: Walker, Saville, Ford-Robinson, Gibson, Nagle-Taylor, Chapman, Twelvetrees, Carreras.

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys.

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