NEWCASTLE Falcons made it four wins out of four as they overcame some wet and windy conditions to record a 25-3 success at Cornish Pirates.

Rob Vickers, Taiasina Tu'ifua and Tom Catterick crossed the try line, with Jimmy Gopperth adding a penalty and two conversions to help Falcons reclaim top spot in the Championship table after briefly ceding the position to Bedford on Saturday afternoon.

Gopperth opened the scoring with an early penalty that was cancelled out shortly after by Pirates full-back Kieran Hallett.

Gopperth's second penalty enabled Falcons to regain the lead, and the North-Easterners claimed their first try shortly before half-time as Luke Fielden slipped in hooker Vickers to score.

A successful conversion made it 13-3 at the interval, before Newcastle extended their lead with their second try as Tu'ifua crashed over from close range midway through the second half.

Falcons' third try came in the closing stages with Catterick crossing following a five-metre line-out and while Dean Richards' side missed out on a four-try bonus point for the first time this season, they will have been satisfied with their efforts in some testing weather.

Newcastle Falcons: Gopperth, Fielden (Tait 69), Crockett (Helleur 72), Tu'ipulotu, Catterick, Hodgson, Lawson (Pasqualin 74); Golding, Vickers (Thompson 74), Tomaszczyk (Hall 65), MacLeod (del Fava 49), Hudson, Hogg, Tu'ifua, Mayhew.