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Alex Codling makes frank admission as Newcastle's dire start to season continues
By PA
Alex Codling rued the ‘unacceptable’ errors which cost his Newcastle side a first win of the season as they let a half-time lead slip in a 20-14 defeat against Exeter.
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Tries from Jamie Blamire and Matias Moroni helped the hosts, who were backed by a pre-match card display from Newcastle United fan group Wor Flags, hold a 14-8 advantage at the interval.
But Exeter duo Henry Slade and Josh Iosefa-Scott dotted down after the break to consign the Falcons to a seventh defeat in as many matches as their tough start to the campaign continued.
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“I know the group are pretty crestfallen,” Newcastle head coach Codling said.
“Wor Flags before the game were amazing, the supporters care hugely and there’s no-one who wants to give them a win more than I do.
“But the bottom line is, when you show the courage and no little skill to go ahead 14-5, we should win that game.
“At the moment, we are making some basic errors that will kill you at any level – particularly the Premiership – and that’s not acceptable.
“It’s just the errors that are killing us. We’re a new group, we make mistakes and the big challenge is when you’ve got a settled group is to get back on the front foot.
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“We have a habit at the moment of making a mistake and compounding it with another one.
“Ultimately the statistics will prove – as does the naked eye – that when you lose the momentum and you keep doing it, you will concede.
“The size of the challenge is pretty clear and I’ll keep taking it head on.”
Chiefs raced out the blocks at Kingston Park and led inside 40 seconds through Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s solo score.
Blamire and Moroni hit back inside a frantic opening seven minutes before Exeter turned the tables once more after half-time to earn their first Premiership away win for over a year.
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“We are not really looking at the whole 13 months [winless away in the Prem], it’s more this group coming together,” said head coach Ali Hepher.
“There’s obviously been a change in personnel, the young players coming into the side. We’ve been in the fight against Northampton and Harlequins but there were little experience errors there and things we’ve worked through.
“We controlled large parts of the game – the territory was all us the second half, but then we gave up ball, we didn’t convert in the five metres.
“How we clear a path for the ball needs to be improved. Falcons had a clear tactic to try and strip the ball, which they were very successful at.
“There are bits there we have to improve but game management-wise, we controlled the game, controlled territory.
“Hopefully we’re moving in the right direction and it’s nice to get that win.”
Newcastle certainly weren’t helped by two overlooked shoulder-to-head contacts, a cynical tackle in the air only being given a penalty, consistent wayward refereeing of the breakdown, and no calling of a very blatant not straight line out throw that directly lead to the last Exeter try. Nor the cheapshots that led to a bloody face for Bello or Pepper having to leave the pitch