BATH'S injury time home win against London Irish on Thursday plunged Newcastle Falcons back to the bottom of the Zurich Premiership as they prepare for their toughest match of the season today

They visit leaders Gloucester, where 11 months ago they lost 60-9 in the play-offs, and although the Falcons have two games in hand on Bath they will do well to take anything from this one.

Gloucester won the Powergen Cup last week and are hell-bent on achieving the double, despite getting to grips more quickly than others with the financial problems facing most clubs.

Pete Glanville, the first team manager at Kingsholm, was dismissed on Thursday along with second team coach Ian Smith as savings of £700,000 are sought.

Only two points cover the bottom five teams, and Harlequins, four points further ahead, are not out of the mire, especially as their four remaining games are all against top six teams.

All the teams below them have at least one home match against fellow strugglers, so unless one side collapses completely the battle will go to the wire.

While a bonus point for losing by seven points or fewer would be extremely valuable for the Falcons today, the chances are that they will need the four points for a win from two of their last three games.

They entertain Northampton next Sunday and on May 4 are at home to Saracens, who are only two points ahead of them. Then six days later they finish off at Bath.

As the win at Leeds and home win against Leicester showed, the Falcons have improved immeasurably since losing successive home games to Irish, Bath and Bristol in November.

The arrival of South African lock Mark Andrews has had much to do with the resurgence, and so has the improved form of flankers Epi Taione and Andrew Mower.

But Mower is suspended today and with Andrews and Taione taking up the two overseas slots the open side berth cannot go to either South African Warren Britz or New Zealander Craig Newby.

So England Sevens player Phil Dowson will step in after impressing in last week's friendly against the Borders.

Falcons Academy centre Sandy Mitchell will play for Darlington Mowden Park in the final match of their National Three North programme at Hull Ionians.

That will make him eligible for Wednesday's Durham Cup tie at home to Darlington (6.30), when Mark Bedworth could be fit to return.

Mowden will risk Iain Dixon at fly half again today, despite a knee injury, and they are also gambling on getting lock Ian Robinson to Hull on time. He is due to fly into Stansted Airport at 11am.

If he doesn't make it, Aaron Redaelli will switch to lock and Tony Irwin will come into the back row.

West Hartlepool end their North Division One programme needing to win at Huddersfield to climb above their hosts and finish out of the bottom two.

Even then they won't know whether they have avoided a fifth successive relegation until the various play-offs have sorted out who is going where. The match is John Stabler's 100th and final game as coach and he said: "We have come through a lot together.

"The lads know that a win can do the club a power of good and they have been buzzing in training."

Stabler, who has told his successor Rod Maclure that he will be available to help in any way next season, is partnered at half back today by David Tighe.

That means Darren Thomas switches to the wing, while Jamie Connolly and Allan Milne are reunited at centre. West lost 13-3 at home to Huddersfield, who will be equally desperate to win.

Champions Darlington sign off at Birkenhead Park hoping to finish their league programme with eight successive wins.

Phil Lancaster and Craig Lee will continue as player-coaches next season, with Lancaster pledging to maintain his fitness even though he has settled for bench duties for much of this season.

He is hopeful that Dan Miller will continue to be available as his course at Bath has ended and he has applied to go to Leeds University with Teesside as second choice.

In North East Two, Middlesbrough and Stockton will finish seventh and eighth irrespective of today's results. Boro finish away to second-bottom Scarborough and Stockton visit Redcar, who are one place and five points below them.

Stuart Brown deputises for unavailable winger Pedro Salahshouri as Stockton seek to avenge their home defeat by Redcar.

Middlesbrough have lost Steve Wallis, who has played wing, centre and back row during a six-year stay and is now returning to Hartlepool Rovers.

But he will not be eligible for Rovers' promotion play-off away to York or Bridlington.

As runners-up in Durham and Northumberland One, Rovers will tackle the Yorkshire One runners-up on April 26 for a place in North Two East.