Newcastle Falcons’ search for a Gallagher Premiership victory continues after Leicester Tigers ran out convincing winners in Saturday’s visit to Kingston Park.

The East Midlanders were 20-3 up at half-time and led inside three minutes when fly-half Jamie Shillcock slotted the simplest of penalties from ten metres out, Callum Chick having led out his Newcastle side to a standing ovation on the occasion of his 150^th appearance.

Ethan Grayson drew the sides level with a penalty from double the distance, but Leicester enjoyed a sequence of red-zone penalties and eventually made the pressure count when Ollie Hassell-Collins collected a looping pass to score in the left corner.

Shillcock sent over the touchline conversion, and his side were two tries up on 23 minutes when Anthony Watson sped in from a similar play – albeit in the opposite corner.

The conversion on this occasion drifted just wide of the uprights, and it seemed to spur Newcastle into action as Sammy Arnold and Ben Stevenson got them over the gain line and Elliott Obatoyinbo found space out wide through quick footwork.

A chance to make the pressure count on the scoreboard went begging on 34 minutes when Ethan Grayson’s penalty flew wide of the right-hand post, and the Tigers roared into a 20-3 half-time lead with the final play of the opening 40 when flanker Emeke Ilione scored from a pick-and-go in the left corner.

The visitors’ dominance continued into the second period when England full-back Freddie Steward chalked up their four-try bonus point, collecting an offload five metres out and wriggling over the try-line.

The Falcons enjoyed an extra man for ten minutes when Tigers wing Anthony Watson was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on, and that quickly became two extra when Hanro Liebenberg was shown yellow for a high tackle on Kiran McDonald.

The numerical advantage was quickly utilised, and after a barrage of red-zone penalties it was captain Chick who marked his 150^th appearance milestone with a pick-and-go try to the right of the posts.

Grayson sent over the conversion, but his side were also a man down when hooker Jamie Blamire was sin-binned for a high tackle.

Tigers snuffed out any hopes of a home fightback when George Martin scored in the right corner from a one-out play off the back of a ruck, but the Falcons kept their heads up and saw an attacking foray down the right when Ben Redshaw raced from 22 to 22.

But it was Leicester who continued to keep the scoreboard turning, replacement centre Will Wand pilfering an interception try to the left corner as the Falcons searched for a way back into the game.

Liebenberg inflicted late punishment when the No.8 powered over down the left, rounding off another tough afternoon for the Falcons.

Newcastle Falcons: 15 Elliott Obatoyinbo (Louis Brown, 66), 14 Ben Redshaw, 13 Connor Doherty, 12 Sammy Arnold (Oli Spencer, 63), 11 Ben Stevenson, 10 Ethan Grayson, 9 Sam Stuart (Joe Davis, 54); 1 Adam Brocklebank (Luan de Bruin, 54), 2 Jamie Blamire (Ollie Fletcher, 66), 3 Richard Palframan (Murray McCallum, 54), 4 John Hawkins, 5 Kiran McDonald (Pedro Rubiolo, 48), 6 Philip van der Walt (Freddie Lockwood, 58), 7 Tom Gordon, 8 Callum Chick (captain).

Scorers – Tries: Callum Chick. Conversions: Ethan Grayson. Penalties: Ethan Grayson.

Leicester Tigers: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Izaia Perese (Will Wand, 55), 12 Joseph Woodward, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Jamie Shillcock (Ben Volavola, 71), 9 Jack van Poortvliet (Ben Youngs, 57); 1 Nicky Smith (James Cronin, 59), 2 Charlie Clare (Archie Vanes, 65), 3 Will Hurd (Dan Cole, 49), 4 George Martin (Come Joussain, 70), 5 Ollie Chessum (captain), 6 Emeka Ilione (Harry Wells, 61), 7 Tommy Reffell, 8 Hanro Liebenberg.

Scorers – Tries: Ollie Hassell-Collins, Anthony Watson, Emeka Ilione, Freddie Steward ,George Martin, Will Wand,Hanro Liebenberg. Conversions: Jamie Shillcock 2. Penalties: Jamie Shillcock.

Referee: Jack Makepeace. Attendance: 6,161.