Steve Diamond was happy with the character and belief of his Newcastle Falcons side after Max Pepper’s late try and Brett Connon’s conversion handed them a 28-27 home win over Sale Sharks.

The Friday-night thriller maintained the Falcons’ perfect start to the Premiership Rugby Cup, with their director of rugby saying afterwards: “Both teams picked strong sides, we showed a lot of character and I was delighted with the way we came through at the end.

“We said we were going to target three wins in the Prem Cup to really get some momentum into our season, and we’ve done that, but this is just the start.

“It’s a good little benchmark for the lads but nobody is getting carried away, because we’ve got Saracens in the league next Friday. That’ll be a great test but we showed a lot of good things tonight, and I’m really pleased for the players.”

Fresh from hearing the squad belt out their victory anthem in the changing room for the fourth time in five games, Diamond added: “I’d never heard the Blaydon Races sung here until four or five weeks ago, and now I know it by heart, so it’s nice to see what a few wins can do.

“Yeah a few of them have been in the Prem Cup so we’re keeping a sense of perspective around everything, but four wins from our last five games in all comps is a decent foundation that we can build on. The Premiership is a totally different level, and we know that, but the lads are showing how we can start to take advantage of these cold frosty nights at Kingston Park which I used to hate when I was an away coach.”

Bouncing back from two scores down to earn their result, the Falcons boss said: “It was a great decision to kick the penalty because it got us to within a score of winning, and even if we’d have lost we’d have had the bonus point.

“We managed to break away and convert it into a win, and that’s what we’ve been working towards. It looked like the game was going to change when we broke away and they scored on the intercept, but we kept our heads and got the job done.

“Ben Stevenson showed his class with the break for Max Pepper’s winning try, as well as the try he scored himself earlier on, and I thought Tom Gordon on the flank had a great game. A number of the lads stood up, to be fair, and I’m pleased because they’re a great group to work with.

“It shows what a bit of belief can do, and that’s what had been lacking here. We’ve got the knowledge and the ability but we’ve just got to believe in our plan and in ourselves.

“We changed it radically after the first four games because it wasn’t working, and the lads have bought in. It’s put us in a good position to go through in the cup, which is also great because it helps fill that big fixture gap around February/March time, and we’re starting to show people a bit more of what we’re about.”