Newcastle Falcons’ season ended on Saturday with plenty of heart in defeat to Gallagher Premiership semi-finalists Leicester Tigers.

The Tynesiders trailed 14-6 at the break, standing firm in defending a string of early driving mauls inside their own 22 as the Tigers kicked repeated penalties to the corner.

Newcastle had to adjust from the early withdrawals of Cameron Neild and Elliott Obatoyinbo through injury inside the first ten minutes, but stuck to their task against the play-off challengers.

England lock Ollie Chessum was held up over the try-line as the Falcons’ defence was tested once more, but it was the visitors who broke the deadlock on 15 minutes when Brett Connon slotted a simple penalty from 25 metres out in front.

The Tigers hit back quickly when flanker Hanro Liebenberg crossed for a converted try down the right – the South African profiting from quick hands along the line before countryman Handre Pollard added the conversion from wide out.

Newcastle were reduced to 14 men when Louis Brown saw yellow for a deliberate knock-on, but they held on gamely until the 32^nd minute when turnover ball and a quick offload saw Josh Bassett scoring a converted try in the right corner.

Connon added a second penalty two minutes before the break as Newcastle cut the half-time deficit to 14-6, his side having been buoyed by some big ball-carrying throughout from No.8 Freddie Lockwood.

Tigers thought they had drawn the first blood of the second half when Freddie Steward crossed in the right corner, but the England full-back’s try was ruled out by the TMO for an obstruction in the build-up.

Ollie Hassell-Collins then followed suit by having a try of his own pulled back by the video referee for foul play which saw him receiving a yellow card, but there was no denying Solomone Kata on 53 minutes when the Tongan centre picked and went from the base of a close-range ruck to dot down.

The four-try bonus point arrived just before the hour mark when prop Joe Heyes barged over from a similar position, but Newcastle were not rolling over and got to within a metre of a try when Max Pepper broke down the left.

From the resulting penalty they managed to find their way over, Ollie Leatherbarrow powering between the posts from a five-metre tap – Connon converting.

Matt Rogerson added Leicester’s fifth converted try down the right-hand side, but the Falcons showed their spirit by scoring four minutes from time, Louis Brown’s chip-and-chase finding the supporting Sammy Arnold, who powered over for the converted try.

Hassell-Collins had the final say with another score down the right, but the Falcons could take plenty of heart from a fully-committed 80 minutes as they build for the future.

Newcastle Falcons: 15 Elliott Obatoyinbo (Louis Brown, 11), 14 Ben Redshaw (Oli Spencer, 61), 13 Alex Hearle, 12 Sammy Arnold, 11 Max Pepper, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Sam Stuart (Joe Davis, 48); 1 Murray McCallum (Micky Rewcastle, 53), 2 Jamie Blamire (captain, Bryan Byrne, 60), 3 Luan de Bruin (Callum Hancock, 53), 4 John Hawkins (Oscar Usher, 56), 5 Sebastian de Chaves, 6 Cameron Neild (Ollie Leatherbarrow, 3), 7 Tom Gordon, 8 Freddie Lockwood.

Scorers – Tries: Ollie Leatherbarrow, Sammy Arnold. Conversions: Brett Connon 2. Penalties: Brett Connon 2.

Leicester Tigers: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Josh Bassett (Mike Brown, 59), 13 Solomone Kata, 12 Joseph Woodward, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Handré Pollard (Ben Volavola, 70), 9 Ben Youngs (Jack van Poortvliet, 43); 1 Nicky Smith(James Cronin, 59), 2 Julián Montoya (captain), 3 Dan Cole (Joe Heyes, 43), 4 Cameron Henderson, 5 Ollie Chessum, 6 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Tommy Reffell, 8 Olly Cracknell.

Scorers – Tries: Hanro Liebenberg, Josh Bassett Solomone Kata, Joe Heyes, Matt Rogerson, Ollie Hassell-Collins. Conversions: Handre Pollard 4, Ben Volavola 2.

Referee: Adam Leal. Attendance: 25,835.