Newcastle still head the English Premiership field entering the New Year, their aura of invincibility just about intact. A rugged, old-fashioned effort from Leicester came agonisingly close to inflicting the Falcons' first defeat in eight matches, but few among the sell-out 16,000 crowd were in any mood to argue about points for artistic merit.

In a helter-skelter encounter played in persistent drizzle Newcastle were rewarded for a furious second-half fight-back. They scored three tries to one, two of them from the irrepressible Western Samoan flanker Pat Lam, and will take some stopping if they stay clear of injuries in their pack.

Joel Stransky, who broke Dusty Hare's record for the most points in a calendar year, did his best by out-pointing his opposite number Rob Andrew in the goal-kicking department, but could not quite repeat his match-winning performance against Saracens on St Stephen's Day.

Leicester had a succession of scrums on the visiting line in the final five minutes, but the thin black line remained immovable and the outlook on Tyneside looks more promising by the week.

On a damp night not obviously made for subtlety of tactics, there was subterfuge in the dressing rooms before the match.

One secret of Newcastle's success has been to lull opponents into a false sense of security when they hand over the team sheet and last night again there was no John Bentley nor Tim Stimpson among the Falcons' backs.

Leicester's coach Bob Dwyer went one better by waiting for Andrew, his opposite number, to spot the unmistakable figure of Dean Richards shambling out for kick-off. He had been listed as a replacement, but Dwyer clearly decided, somewhat belatedly, that this was no time to worry about introducing a new look for the New Year.

Leicester had much the better of the opening 40 minutes and led 16-8, thanks to three penalties from five attempts by Stransky and a converted penalty try three minutes before the interval, awarded against the Newcastle front row between their own posts.

Stransky, needing only two points to beat Hare's record of 434 points in 33 games during the course of 1988, hooked wide his first two efforts but, in his 32nd match in Tigers' stripes in 1997, he kept his composure impressively despite presenting Newcastle with a 23rd-minute try by Lam.

The Springbok fly-half's clearing kick was charged down as Nesdale and Arnold joined forces, and Lam's skidding dive across the greasy turf, before thudding into the advertising boards, qualified him for a bravery award as well as five points.

He had a second touchdown disallowed for obstruction by Dean Ryan but, despite an Andrew penalty, Newcastle's only other achievement of note was a yellow card shown to Garath Archer for stamping.

Referee Brian Campsall added the names of Doddie Weir and Richard Cockerill early in the second-half as the forward battle intensified, but it took two close-range tries in seven minutes by Popplewell and Lam in the same right-hand corner to shake Leicester's grip.

A typically shrewd Andrew drop goal stretched their advantage before the action switched to the other end. The first Leicester forward charge almost made it, but even the will of Richards could not sway the outcome. It was Leicester's third defeat of the season but they remain in third place.

Newcastle's director of rugby Rob Andrew praised his side afterwards: "It was a marvellous occasion, what with the wind and the rain and the atmosphere.