Newcastle vs Northampton LIVE: Saints' lead cut to two in tight Gallagher Premiership clash

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Northampton Saints escaped with a sodden first victory of the season in a tight encounter with Newcastle Falcons, who picked up their second successive losing bonus point.

A game for the purists, Tom Pearson produced the decisive moment with 25 minutes to go when he hit Matias Orlando’s inside shoulder before offloading to Curtis Langdon who crashed through three desperate Falcons players to score.

Iwan Stephens did pull one back late on for the hosts, diving over by the touchline after George Hendy was sent to The Saints’ sin-bin, but Brett Connon was unable to convert to leave his side trailing.

Newcastle had another chance to win it with the clock in the red but Northampton came up with a crucial turnover to put themselves into the win column for the 2023/24 season.

The hosts have lost their last two games by a combined six points, but are still searching for their first victory of the campaign.

Both fly-halves had traded kicks ahead of Langdon’s gamebreaking try, and 21-year-old Fin Smith continued to manage the game well once in front.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: CURTIS LANGDON

Langdon got the crucial score for the Saints and was awarded Player of the Match by TNT Sports. He spoke to Martin Bayfield post-game:

"Awesome at the finish, a tough first two rounds, we've worked hard on our defence and defence wins games like this.

"We'd seen it in glimpses of it early in the season but as a whole thats probably our best 80-minute perofrmance of the season.

THERE'S NOT TIME! Northampton turn it over and Falcons fall two agonising points short.

Radwan shook off at least three Saints defenders there including the unflappable Dingwall before Pepper drives it 30m out.

Will Falcons attempt the drop-goal?

That's huge from Newcastle, they send a big kick in behind and a mammoth chase from Stephens and Chick force Saints to boot it out in their own half.

And Connon can't convert, his kick slide onto the post so Saints still lead by two.

Eventually Saints run out of numbers and Stephens slides over on Hendy's wing.

Callum Chick had the crowd on their feet with a powerful drive but whe was denied, Stephens has given Connon a brutal conversion though...

Saints absorbed a lot of phases there but escape with just another penalty conceded... Or so it seems. Falcons can't take advantage, but George Hendy is sent to the sin-bin for repeated penalties.

Newcastle keep the pressure on and Chick gathers the 5m lineout to give Falcons their best chance of the game. They NEED to score from here.

And they might've found that, replacement Saints hooker Tom Cruse overthrew straight to his opposite number and Falcons earn the penalty.

Connon would've hoped for more distance as his kick barely reachs the Northampton 22, but they have a golden chance to level it here.

10 minutes to go, seven points in it. The second half has been much the same as the first - dominated by kicks, handling errors and set pieces, but Newcastle need to find some invention to open up the prospect of their first win of the season.

The first switch in the half-backs, Hugo O'Sullivan takes Sam Stuart's place at 9.

That Waller switch has done the job, Alex won a crucial penalty for Saints and they can take the ball well into Falcon's ha;f.

Both sides are bringing on fresh legs, it's a double-change in Falcons' engine room as the bustling Van der Walt departs for Hawkins, and Kiran McDonald replaces former Wasps teammate Seb de Chaves.

And it's another ex-Wasp coming on for Northampton, Elliot Millar Mills is the new tighthead.

Falcons really didn't need theat. It's two weeks in a row they've struggled to clear effectively after scoring and that trend continues, allowing Fin Smith to stretch the lead back to seven.

It's not been the most entertaining match but it is tight as we enter the last quarter. One mistake from either side will spell defeat but the rain seems to have eased up for the finale.

Falcons might've tried to grab a try of their own, but instead they take the points and Connon obliges. 13-9 to Saints now.

Connon tried a neat chip that Stephens couldn't reach, but Falcons can go again with another penalty in the 22.