Leeds Carnegie 24 Newcastle Falcons 19: match report They were rescued by the all-round play of their two most experienced players in Jimmy Gopperth, who kicked 11 points and was his team's main attacking threat, plus No 8 Ally Hogg, the former Scottish international, who nicked a try from a Leeds line-out in the first half. Dean Richards, Newcastle's director of rugby, felt his team had only shown something like 40 per cent of the form which has seen them dominate the Championship this season. Richards said: "We are a bit disappointed in the way that it ended. We tried to play a little bit too much in the wrong part of the pitch but there you go. It's something to make up, which I think we will do. But home advantage counts for a lot and there is another 80 minutes of rugby to play. For Leeds, the victory continues an in-form end to the season in which they have won their last six matches in the regular Championship. A beaming Diccon Edwards, Leeds" head coach, said: "If we didn't believe before the match then the players do now." At one stage, 26 minutes into the first half, Newcastle were 13-3 down and making plenty of mistakes on the hottest day of the year. Leeds" attacking instincts had been rewarded in the 14th minute when centres Josh Griffin and Fred Burdon set up the game's first try through some excellent running. Griifin created the first hole in the Newcastle defence which left Burdon to attack a defensive line made up of Hogg and prop Olivier Tomaszczyk. Burdon sliced passed the two forwards to give full-back Steve McColl an easy run to the line for a memorable score which Ford converted. The try shook Newcastle and they needed the first of four penalties from Gopperth, in the 18th minute, to steady nerves already frayed by seeing their main player hit the upright and post from his first attempt. Gopperth kicked the easy penalty, following a series of scrums under the Leeds posts, only for Newcastle to be immediately rocked back by the home team collecting two penalties of their own from Ford for successive offences at scrums. The two penalties by Ford helped Leeds to a 13-3 lead which lasted only five minutes before Newcastle surged back into the home 22 fired by Gopperth's running ability. The New Zealander burst clear from his own half and was only stopped five metres short. However, Leeds" good defence ended there because Hogg grabbed the home throw to wrestle over. Gopperth converted the difficult kick and Newcastle were back in the match at 13-10. Another Gopperth penalty levelled affairs just before the interval to set up an even more nervous second half. Two penalties from Gopperth edged Newcastle ahead and they looked to have control. However, Leeds gained the advantage up front, and Ford levelled matters at 19-19 through his two penalties. Leeds made most of their new impetus which ended in Burrows racing clear after the ball had shot out of another scrum going backwards for Newcastle. Leeds: S McColl; O Goss, J Griffin, F Burdon, D Doherty; J Ford, C Hampson (J Doherty 63); L Imiolek (B Harris 51), S Freer (P Nilsen 75), D Tussac (J Currie 66), C Green, M Smith (P Phillips 43), R Baldwin, C Walker (R Burrows 51), J Rowan (capt). Try: McColl. Conversion: Ford. Penalty goals: Ford (4). Newcastle: A Tait; N Cato, A Powell, T Tu'ipulotu (J Helleur 78), R Shortland; J Gopperth, W Fury; J Golding (R Vickers 68), M Mayhew, O Tomaszczyk (S Wilson 53), S Macleod, J Hudson (C del Fava 58), M Wilson, W Welch (capt), A Hogg. Subs: R Vickers, S Wilson, C del Fava, R Mayhew, C Pilgrim, J Hodgson, J Helleur. Try: Hogg. Conversion: Gopperth. Penalty goal: Gopperth (4). Referee: D Rose. Att: 4,259.