Jonny earns draw

They could be well satisfied with the result after being thoroughly outplayed in the first half, although they did take a shock lead after the break through a sensational try by Michael Stephenson.

They were also denied what might have been a match-winning try by their other winger Mathew Tait with 12 minutes left.

It would have crowned a highly impressive display by the youngster, who had scored in the first half and said he was "devastated" not be awarded the second touchdown.

"I was sure I had got the ball down and it seemed the referee over-ruled the linesman," he said. "The referee said I had knocked on."

Director of Rugby Rob Andrew was furious that the try was ruled out by referee Tony Spreadbury.

''The referee was 15 or 20 yards away and he over-ruled the touch judge. I have seen the video and it was a try. The touch judge is there, nodding and putting his thumb up.

''But what can you do about it? Players make mistakes and referees make mistakes - we all know that.

''Spreaders has said that he thought it had been lost forward but even if he did think that, he wasn't even in the picture on the video.

''In Premiership rugby it's small margins that cost you games. The boys are pleased with their effort but disappointed not to have closed it out in the second half, which we shaded.

''Hopefully today is the start of putting us back on track after we have spluttered in the last few weeks."

The fact that the Falcons were only 10-7 down at half-time, despite rarely escaping their own half, suggested that the work they had done on their defence in last week's training was paying dividends.

It also owed a lot, however, to some very poor handling by Saracens, whose fly half Mark Bartholomeusz often failed to find his target while powerful centre Dan Harris made several breaks without linking with the support.

Although he needed treatment after a bang late in the game, any concerns about Wilkinson's badly-bruised bicep were quickly dispelled as he led from the front defensively, although some of his kicking from hand still looked rusty.

The initial signs were that Newcastle's defence was again going to prove as porous as in the last two weeks as they conceded a try after four minutes.

They gave possession away by knocking on in midfield and Saracens quickly moved the ball left, then right and left again. The ball found its way to full back Thomas Castaignede, who from just inside the 22 acclerated through a gap and easily stepped inside Dave Walder to glide to the posts. The Frenchman added the conversion.

Two minutes later the Falcons were level with their only attack of the half. It stemmed from Epi Taione bursting on to a pass from Wilkinson inside his own half and breaking through to make 25 metres.

The 19st Tongan slipped as he was half tackled by Castaignede, but Newcastle moved the ball swiftly out to Tait on the right wing.

From 22 metres the youngster took his chance superbly, showing tremendous acceleration before chipping ahead and regathering to squeeze in at the corner. Wilkinson converted from the touchline.

Castaignede had been hurt in stopping Taione and after trying for two minutes to soldier on he retired to be replaced by Robbie Kydd, who landed a penalty after 18 minutes.

Tait was not the only Barnard Castle School product on the field as Ed Williamson was playing at open side and featured strongly in the defensive effort as the Falcons held out for the rest of the first half.

One of his most telling contributions came when he tackled scrum half Moses Rauluni as he was about to pass from a ruck under the posts.

Shortly afterwards Saracens skipper Hugh Vyvyan, who was not at his best on his return to Kingston Park, was turned over five metres short by Colin Charvis, whose experience was crucial for the Falcons.

Lock Stuart Grimes was penalised for illegal use of the feet but Kydd missed the penalty from 35 metres.

After 35 minutes Taione was sin-binned for not rolling away in the tackle and after kicking the penalty to the corner Saracens spent the rest of the half camped near the Falcons' line without finding a way over.

Newcastle had hardly been in the game, but they re-emerged with much more purpose and were able to get the previously anonymous Matt Burke into the game, allowing him to show his class.

After four minutes they were level through a Wilkinson penalty, but four minutes later they were back to down to 14 men when flanker Mike McCarthy was yellow-carded for throwing a punch.

Saracens again kicked the penalty to the corner and again failed to get over the line, although they went perilously close.

With McCarthy still off, the Falcons amazingly went ahead from a move which began with Tait putting in an attacking high kick out of defence in the right corner.

He followed up to nail Kydd and Newcastle quickly regained the ball and moved it left via Walder, Wilkinson and Burke, whose quick pass found Stephenson.

The winger scorched over the halfway line then kicked ahead and outpaced the defence to regather and score in the left corner.

The crowd of 7,762 could scarcely believe it as Wilkinson's perfectly-struck conversion put the Falcons 17-10 ahead after 54 minutes.

But four minutes later Saracens were level again after the Falcons were over-committed at a ruck on the left and the visitors had forwards out wide on the right, where Vyvyan gave hooker Matt Cairns the scoring pass.

The try stemmed from a poor clearance by Wilkinson, and at 17-17 with 22 minutes left the Falcons sent on Marius Hurter, Ian Peel, Semo Sititi and Craig Hamilton to give the pack fresh legs, swiftly followed by James Grindal for Hall Charlton at scrum half.

Tait's disallowed try came when Stephenson made the running with Walder in support, and after delaying his pass the full back eventually found Tait, who appeared to have forced his way over.

With both sides mounting attacks it could have gone either way, but it was Saracens who went ahead two minutes into injury time with a drop goal from Bartholomeusz. Two minutes later Wilkinson set himself to reply from a ruck near the posts and there was never the slightest doubt that he would succeed.