Toby Flood kicks Newcastle to first Premiership win of the season and leaves Worcester bottom of the pile

Worcester Warriors 20-23 Newcastle Falcons: The last two winless sides in the Premiership looked to be heading for a draw until Flood kicked a crucial penalty six minutes from time

(Getty)

The boot of former England fly-half Toby Flood steered Newcastle to a first Gallagher Premiership victory of the season.

Last year's play-off semi-finalists held on to beat battling Worcester 23-20 at Sixways.

Flood kicked three second-half penalties to add to first-half conversions of tries from scrum-half Sonatane Takulua and wing Sinoti Sinoti.

But the Falcons let Worcester off the hook as Scottish fly-half Duncan Weir scored a try, conversion and penalty, with full-back Chris Pennell landing a long penalty - while the hosts were also awarded a penalty try.

Newcastle had Worcester in trouble after just 11 minutes as the Warriors fell asleep in midfield and allowed the visitors two try-scoring chances.

Loosehead prop Sami Mavinga stepped past a tackle on halfway after six minutes to show a blistering turn of pace and set up Takulua with an inside pass for a straight run to the line.

And, after Worcester threatened, Newcastle hit them again when a beautifully-timed inside pass from former England fly-half Flood put Sinoti flying into open space and away down the middle.

Flood converted both tries and it looked like being an easy afternoon for the north-east side as they lead 14-0.

Duncan Weir scored a try for Worcester (Getty)

However, Worcester fought back as the Falcons went into the break with 13 men on the pitch and leading by just four points.

It would need a confidence boost to get Worcester back in the match and, when Weir stroked over a penalty which just crept inside the upright, they got it.

Worcester had the better of the territory as the break approached and forced Newcastle into several penalties inside their own 22. Hooker George McGuigan was sin-binned with three minutes of the half left as he was ruled to have caused obstruction deep in his 22.

Sinoti Sinoti crossed for Newcastle's second try of the match (Getty)

And, when the Warriors looked certain for a try seconds from the interval, centre Johnny Williams deliberately knocked on a pass. Ref Wayne Barnes checked the replay before sending Williams to the sin-bin and awarding a penalty try.

A Flood penalty pushed his side seven points ahead, but Weir levelled the match as he latched onto a Francois Hougaard grubber kick to the line and scored, converting himself.

Flood's second penalty nudged his side into a three-point lead before a huge 48-metre penalty from Pennell levelled matters again.

Toby Flood scored 13 points to help squeeze Newcastle past Worcester (Getty)

However, a third Flood penalty put Newcastle 23-20 ahead with six minutes left and, when Worcester went for broke to win the game with the final move of the game, replacement Jono Lance knocked on to end the Warriors' resistance.

Teams

Worcester: Pennell, Heem, Venter, Mills, Adams, Weir, Hougaard, Black, Taufete'e, Kerrod, Phillips, Barry, Mama, Lewis, Van Velze.

Replacements: Singleton, Bower, Milasinovich, Bresler, Fa'osiliva, Heaney, Lance, Beck.

Newcastle: Hammersley, Radwan, Harris, Williams, Sinoti, Flood, Takulua, Mavinga, McGuigan, Mulipola, Green, Witty, M Wilson, Welch, Chick.

Replacements: Socino, Brocklebank, Payne, Cavubati, G Graham, Stuart, Hodgson, Penny.

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

PA