Dickens voices pride as Falcons go down fighting

NEWCASTLE Falcons senior coach Alan Dickens was proud of the character shown by his side in their 55-19 Gallagher Premiership defeat to Bath on Saturday.

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Bath's eventual eight tries not only secured a 13th win in 15 matches but took their points difference to an unassailable 238 to secure top seeding in the play-offs.

However, it took a flurry of second-half tries to subdue the Falcons, who were leading just after half-time despite having lost full-back Louis Brown to a red card.

"To put them under pressure from the kick-off after half-time and to score again straight away was a real positive," Dickens said.

"One of the disappointments of the second half was that the first chance they got to attack we fell off a couple of tackles, they capitalised and went back in front."

Missing out on a bonus-point try was also a cause for regret.

"That's certainly a disappointment," he added. "We talked in the week how coming here is always a challenge. It's one we look forward to. Coming away with a bonus point would have been a positive."