Steve Diamond insisted this is just the start for his Newcastle Falcons side following Friday night’s Gallagher Premiership victory over Exeter Chiefs.

The 24-18 triumph ended a 25-game barren stretch in league action and saw them kicking their first drop-goal in more than 11 years, as two tries from Jamie Blamire and one from Philip van der Walt got them over the winning line.

“It’s nice to get the monkey off the back, and the lads really deserve it,” said the director of rugby, with the ‘Blaydon Races’ having belted out of the changing room.

“It’s only one win so nobody is going overboard, but I do think it’s a significant turning point for this club.

“Some of the stuff that has been written and said about us this week is pretty disrespectful, to be honest – questioning what is the point of the club.

“We’re not going to shut all of those people up with one win, but what it does do is give everyone that real belief that what we’re doing is the right thing.

“There’s no reactionary culture here and we’ve been doing the same things on a consistent basis in terms of our training and not dragging guys in on their day off. We’ve had a plan and we’re sticking to it, and I’m delighted for the lads because they’re a great group to work with.”

Diamond added: “It’s been a long run of losses but I’ve only been here just over six months, and I can’t do anything about what went on before.

“What I do know is we’re trying to build something here in terms of a sustainable rugby business and a competitive team. Semore Kurdi and the Thompson family have put in a lot of money over the years and we’re trying to run the place right. Nobody’s pretending it’s easy, but look at that crowd out there tonight.

“They’ve stuck by the club and they can see what we’re trying to do. The alternative is doing a Wasps or London Irish by spending a load of money and going bust, but we want to run it right. It’ll take time and it will be difficult, but I believe it’s the proper way to run it.”

Crediting fly-half Ethan Grayson on a night where the former Northampton man kicked 100% at the posts, Diamond said: “He’s been great since he came in.

“He’s a tough kid, he’s been playing out of position in a sense, starting big Premiership games, but I thought he was strong in defence and attack tonight. We made one defensive error early on which cost us, but apart from that I thought we looked strong there.

“The difference was that we stuck to the plan, and although certain aspects like the line-out didn’t work in the first half for us tonight I was proud of the way the lads stuck together and implemented the game plan. We almost did an Exeter to Exeter with the way we kept the ball, and to be fair I thought we should have gone for the bonus point at the end.

“I’m delighted for the players, and that win for us tonight was crucial in staying in the fight down there at the bottom.  

“I’ve not said anything in the changing room – I very rarely do – it was just a case of the lads singing the ‘Blaydon Races’ and having a few beers together, which they thoroughly deserve.”