NEWCASTLE 19 BRISTOL 14
THE Falcons started the match brightly and Mark Wilson, Ally Hogg and Scott Lawson all made strong drives before Socino struck in the fifth minute.
Waldouck left the field following a concussion and Newcastle swept upfield to score their second try.
The home team hammered away with some excellent recycling and Sinoti Sinoti wriggled his way into the 22 where the Falcons pack took over. Calum Green and Lawson led the pick-and-drive up to the Bristol line where Falcons skipper Welch crossed and Delany converted for 12-0 in the 16th minute.
Another penalty miss, this time by Adrian Jarvis, was a disappointing return for a period of Bristol domination, and Hogg’s swift breakaway up the blindside should have led to a try but Sinoti was stopped 10 metres out.
Nevertheless, Newcastle pounced from the scrum, with Delany the decoy at short side flyhalf. Socino swept away on the open side and his pass to Hodgson took out three defenders for an exquisite try which had the crowd on their feet, and Delany converted for a half-time 19-0 lead.
Bristol dominated the opening stages of the second half using their forwards to pile drive through the middle and it paid off when Jon Fisher ended a 15-metre rolling maul with a try converted by Jarvis for 19-7 in the 51st minute.
It put Bristol back in the game and Mitch Eadie crashed through and a conversion from Jarvis made it 19-14 in the 62nd minute.
Hodgson missed a long-range kick at goal after Ben Glynn’s late hit on Delany, and it was still anyone’s game.
Bristol’s Max Crumpton and Newcastle’s Alex Rogers were sinbinned with five minutes left but the remaining stages saw the Falcons win enough possession to close out the game.