Newcastle Falcons battled all the way in front of a season-high home crowd on Saturday, but were ultimately second best as Gallagher Premiership leaders Bath went away with all five points.

A madcap start saw both sides scoring tries inside the first three minutes – Newcastle taking the lead on 60 seconds when Bath spilled a high bomb and Jamie Blamire hacked the loose ball before diving on it for the five-pointer.

The visitors crossed the whitewash quickly after when No.8 Alfie Barbeary powered over from a close-range pick and go, with Scotland fly-half Finn Russell converting from in front for a two-point advantage.

The Falcons roared back into the lead when back-rower Freddie Lockwood hit a hard physical running line to crash over – Brett Connon this time adding the extras despite the cross-field gale.

Bath’s attempt to kick a penalty to the left corner saw Russell hitting the ball dead in the wind, but his side led again on 21 minutes when a cross-field kick brought a converted try for full-back Tom de Glanville down the left-hand side.

That lasted for less than three minutes, with Connon’s penalty from in front sending Newcastle into the ascendancy once more as Bath committed repeated offences on their own 22.

An unbelievable try-saver was required to preserve that advantage on the half-hour when Callum Chick and Lockwood’s double hit on Alfie Barbeary saw the Bath man rolled over in Newcastle’s in-goal.

A jackal penalty from Radwan and another penalty win from Chick thwarted further Bath attacks as the star-studded league leaders maintained the pressure, but they chiselled out a 21-15 interval lead with the very last play of the half.

With Bath having turned down a kickable penalty in favour of a line-out in the corner, Newcastle withstood 20+ phases of red-zone pressure before prop Will Stuart finally crashed over between the posts for their third converted try.

The visitors chalked up the bonus point seven minutes after the resumption when lock Charlie Ewels scored from a line-out down the left.

But the Falcons kept plugging away, with a sequence of red-zone penalties ending with Lockwood being held up over the try-line after a typically robust carry.

Bath were making their attacking moments count, and had their fifth try on 67 minutes when Russell wriggled out of a tackle down the left for another converted score.

Replacement Sam Underhill added another try down the right with the very last play – the Falcons emerging with plenty of credit, if not any points.

Newcastle Falcons: 15 Ben Redshaw (Kieran Wilkinson, 70), 14 Adam Radwan, 13 Alex Hearle, 12 Cameron Hutchison (Oli Spencer, 43), 11 Ben Stevenson, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Sam Stuart (Hugh O’Sullivan, 71); 1 Murray McCallum (Micky Rewcastle, 71), 2 Jamie Blamire (Ollie Fletcher, 40), 3 Richard Palframan (Callum Hancock, 75), 4 Sebastian de Chaves, 5 Kiran McDonald (Philip van der Walt, 59), 6 Freddie Lockwood, 7 Tom Gordon (Ollie Leatherbarrow, 75), 8 Callum Chick (captain).

Scorers – Tries: Jamie Blamire, Freddie Lockwood. Conversions: Brett Connon. Penalties: Brett Connon.

Bath Rugby: 15 Tom de Glanville, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Cameron Redpath, 11 Will Muir, 10 Finn Russell (Will Butt, 75), 9 Ben Spencer (captain, Tom Carr-Smith, 71); 1 Francois van Wyk (Ben Obano, 56), 2 Tom Dunn (Niall Annett, 56), 3 Will Stuart (Thomas du Toit, 56), 4 Quinn Roux, 5 Charlie Ewels (Ted Hill, 56), 6 Josh Bayliss (Sam Underhill, 67), 7 Guy Pepper, 8 Alfie Barbeary.

Scorers – Tries: Alfie Barbeary, Tom de Glanville, Will Stuart, Charlie Ewels, Finn Russell, Sam Underhill. Conversions: Finn Russell 5.

Referee: Ian Tempest. Attendance: 6,757.