Had it not been for Jonny we might have been sunk today.” An understatement that most certainly is, though it is only part of the story.With five of Newcastle’s first-choice forwards injured, Bedford must have thought they might have an advantage up front, especially as Rob Andrew chose to leave the prop Marius Hurter out of his side. With only two non-Europeans allowed in Premiership games, and with Va’aiga Tuigamala and Leslie not holding British passports, the South African was an anxious watcher from the stand Neither he nor Andrew needed to worry. Bedford could not embarrass Newcastle’s lightweight pack until the closing minutes when Danny Zaltzman was driven across.Apart from forays in broken play, prompted by the excellent Andy Gomarsall and the strong running of Alastair McLean, Bedford provided Newcastle with little anxiety. At least until their replacement winger Paul Sackey exploited Gomarsall’s alacrity at a tap penalty to steal in at the corner midway through the second half, to bring the scores to 20-15 with Andrew Thompson’s conversion.Wilkinson had scored and converted both of Newcastle’s tries in the first quarter to give Leslie and his new team-mates just the start they needed.

Wilkinson and Thompson exchanged penalties, before Chris Pearson touched down in first-half stoppage time.Having turned round 17-8 up, Wilkinson stretched that by another three points with his second penalty and the Falcons were strolling to their first win in five outings. Enter Sackey.Wilkinson struck another penalty after the winger’s unexpected intervention and there was still Zaltzman’s try as Newcastle were driven to the point of collapse. Somehow they hung on as Bedford battered away, their first league points as elusive as ever.Newcastle: Tries Wilkinson 2; Conversions Wilkinson 2; Penalties Wilkinson 3. Bedford: Tries Pearson, Sackey, Zaltzman; Conversion Thompson; Penalty Thompson.Newcastle Falcons: P Massey; M Wood (G Maclure, h-t), J Noon, J Leslie, V Tuigamala; J Wilkinson, G Armstrong (capt); M Ward, R Horton, I Peel, S Grimes, D Weir, H Vyvyan, J Cartmell, R Arnold (H Quigley, 71).Bedford Blues: S Stewart; G Truelove, A Murdoch, D Harris (P Sackey, h-t), A McLean; A Thompson (D Hughes, 70), A Gomarsall (capt); M Volland (A Black, 65), C Pearson (M Kwisiuk, 82), A Olver, D Zaltzman, C Eagle (D Sims, 65), R Winters, M Webber, R Banks.Referee: B Campsall (Sowerby, West Yorks)..

The Wales full-back Shane Howarth may have experienced the pressure of combining international duties with the captaincy at Rodney Parade, but he was able to keep his cool when it mattered most on Saturday and kicked Newport into the quarter-finals of the WRU Challenge Cup. The Wales full-back Shane Howarth may have experienced the pressure of combining international duties with the captaincy at Rodney Parade, but he was able to keep his cool when it mattered most on Saturday and kicked Newport into the quarter-finals of the WRU Challenge Cup.
In a match of red-hot intensity, the home side kept their season alive with a committed display. This match had a bit of everything and brought out one of the biggest crowds seen at Newport in the past two decades. In fact, those home fans long enough in the tooth to remember the great day when Newport beat the All Blacks in 1963 reckoned the atmosphere was almost comparable.Cardiff arrived hoping to keep alive their hopes of a Welsh League and Cup and Heineken Cup treble, but left wondering if they have the stomach to pick up even one major piece of silverware this season. For Newport played the final 22 minutes with only 14 men, having had the flanker Jason Forster sent off for a needless punch on his opposite number, Martyn Williams, during a fracas which also saw the referee Nigel Williams send locks Simon Raiwalui and Craig Quinnell to the sin-bin for 10 minutes.