JUST when it seemed Jonny Wilkinson's deputy, David Walder, had emulated the World Cup hero with a winning drop goal, back came Harlequins to cruelly deny Newcastle yesterday.

Quins became the third team this season to storm the Kingston Park fortress courtesy of their more clinical finishing as they drove prop Ceri Jones over for their fourth try in the ninth minute of injury time.

Newcastle were the better side, producing some dazzling rugby at times, and it was hard to believe that after beginning the match locked together on 31 points, the teams were still looking inseperable with the score on 22-22 five minutes into injury time.

That was when Walder seemed to have atoned for missing three penalties by slotting a 35-metre drop goal following a ruck.

Having clawed back a sizeable deficit for the second successive week, Newcastle were jubilant, but there were still several minutes left following a long delay for treatment to winger Michael Stephenson. He was stretchered away with a dislocated elbow and taken to hospital as it was suspected there might also be a fracture.

Walder was the Falcons' match-winner the previous week when he went on as Wilkinson's replacement against Northampton, but this time the glory was snatched from his grasp. Newcastle dominated territorially and produced occasional flashes of superb running and handling, but too many chances went begging and Walder's inconsistency continued.

Director of Rugby Rob Andrew said: "We should have had it won by half-time. We played some unbelievable stuff at times but failed to finish off three or four golden opportunities. We also gifted them two tries by turning the ball over.

"This is where this group of players are at the moment. We have made massive progress after the trauma of last season. There's not a side in the Premiership we can't compete with, but we are not streetwise enough to finish them off.

"We had emphasised all week that we must not turn the ball over against Quins because that's when they are dangerous.

"Epi Taione lost the ball five times in the first half and we thought about taking him off. But he played very well in the second half and got us back into the game with his try.

"It showed the character of the side that we were able to claw our way back, but then we contrived to give the game away again."

The Falcons made a lively start and after a strong run and kick ahead by Stephenson, Quins were penalised on the 22 and Walder made it 3-0 after two minutes.

Then winger Tom May broke through on an angled run in the centre and a try looked certain as the impressive Jamie Noon took the ball on and passed to Phil Dowson. But the flanker was nailed just before the line.

Quins escaped from their own half twice in the first 20 minutes and scored both times following skilful play by outside half Andy Dunne. When Taione's old habit of surrendering the ball resurfaced 40 metres out, Dunne put in what looked no more than a speculative kick. But Ugo Monye's blistering pace took him round May and he narrowly won the race to touch down as the ball held up invitingly just short of the dead ball line.

Then Quins won a line-out on the Newcastle throw and Dunne broke through a flimsy tackle to send full back Gavin Duffy over by the posts. Dunne's conversion meant Newcastle trailed 12-3.

They squandered another chance when they kicked a penalty to the corner and lost the line-out, but after 30 minutes scrum half Hall Charlton accelerated into a blind side gap with Joe Shaw in support and the full back passed inside for Noon to complete an excellent move.

Walder converted then narrowly missed a penalty from just inside halfway before Dunne succeeded with a much simpler chance to make it 15-10 at half-time.

Four minutes later Quins surged 12 points clear when Monye's pace and strength took him past two tackles. He was stopped just short, but scrum half Simon Keogh popped the ball up for lock Jim Evans to drive over.

Newcastle were rewarded for persevering with Taione when they knocked the ball down to him at a line-out and he powered 20 metres up the right touchline to score, Walder converting. Then Stephenson levelled the scores by squeezing over from a quickly-taken penalty five metres out.

There were still 12 minutes of normal time left and the Falcons looked the likely winners, but they made the mistake of thinking they had won it when Walder put them in front.

* England reject Henry Paul led the way as Gloucester made history by beating Leicester 28-18 to secure their first Zurich Premiership win at Welford Road.

The former rugby league star created tries for Alex Brown and Junior Paramore as well as kicking a penalty and a conversion - with fly-half Duncan McRae adding two drop-goals and scoring a try of his own at the death.

Ollie Smith and Neil Baxter replied with tries for the Tigers, and Andy Goode landed a conversion and two penalties.

Any closer than that would have been tough on Paul, in a rich vein of form for his club despite being overlooked by England.

He is not included in Sir Clive Woodward's 50-strong Six Nations squad but helped bury Leicester's chances of reaching the play-offs with his intelligent prompting in midfield.

Leicester restored England captain Martin Johnson to the starting line-up but were still without a sizeable contingent of World Cup players - with Lewis Moody (foot), Julian White (knee) and Dorian West (knee) all out of action.

Result: Newcastle Falcons 25 NEC Harlequins 29.