CRISIS? What crisis? Gloucester powered back to winning ways with a five-tries-to-three victory over Newcastle at Kingsholm, writes Steve Cotton.

Iain Balshaw scored a hat-trick, while James Simpson-Daniel crossed twice in the closing stages, as Gloucester survived a major second-half scare to take all five available points.

Balshaw went over twice before the break and once in the second half to see off a resilient and hard-working Newcastle side, who had to deal with the blow of losing Jonny Wilkinson to an early injury.

The sight of their talisman hobbling off with a suspected ligament injury to his left knee after 28 minutes was a concern not only to Newcastle boss Steve Bates but also England manager Martin Johnson.

Even after losing their playmaker, however, Newcastle threatened to stun the home side when tries from Matt Thompson and Tom May early in the second half brought them right back into the contest at 19-16 down.

But Gloucester finished the stronger side, capitalising on Steve Jones' sin-binning by scoring two tries and a penalty while the full-back was temporarily out of the action to take the score from 19-16 to 32-16.

The final margin was perhaps a little harsh on the visitors, but Gloucester undeniably deserved their victory after producing the most open game they have been involved in all season.

Wilkinson, needing 14 points to pass the 1,500 mark in the Premiership, had kicked Newcastle in front inside the opening 90 seconds to extend his goal-kicking record to 13 out of 13 for the season.

Balshaw then came close to giving Gloucester the lead in a frantic opening, only to knock on when over the try-line, before again fumbling in midfield to halt a promising move.

The home side drew level with a long-range Barkley penalty, before Olly Morgan sent Balshaw away to give Gloucester the lead after a well-worked move from a line-out.

Olly Barkley missed the conversion, before Wilkinson missed a drop goal and Jones was off-target with a penalty for the visitors as Wilkinson received treatment in the opposite half of the field.

Replacement fly-half Rory Clegg brought Newcastle to within two points with a penalty when Gloucester strayed offside, before Barkley was wide with a penalty of his own.

Balshaw extended Gloucester's lead shortly before the break, receiving the ball in space thanks to a quick-thinking pass out of the tackle from Matthew Watkins.

Barkley missed the conversion but landed a penalty with the final act of the half to hand his side a 10-point half-time lead.

Newcastle made the brighter start to the second period, reducing Gloucester's lead to five points with a try within five minutes of the restart.

Hooker Thompson got the ball straight back from a line-out and charged down the left wing, holding off a number of would-be tacklers before crashing over the line. The conversion was missed.

Gloucester's response was almost instant, Barkley's third successful shot at goal from six attempts taking them into a 19-11 lead.

Newcastle were back to within three points when May used his vision – and was rewarded with an almighty slice of good fortune – to score their second try of the evening.

The centre received the ball in midfield, looked up and spotted a gap behind the home defence. His kick ahead bounced invitingly into his hands and he held off Simpson-Daniel to get to the line.

The visitors missed the conversion and a penalty shortly afterwards, taking their tally of missed points to 10.

But they caused panic in the Gloucester defence again when Clegg sidestepped his way through following a scrum, only to be penalised for not releasing the ball.

From a seemingly comfortable position at the break, the hosts were now feeling the heat – so when referee David Rose sent full-back Jones to the cooler for killing ball and Barkley slotted the penalty, there was a sense of relief around Kingsholm.

Gloucester soon added two quick tries. First Balshaw completed his hat-trick after Willie Walker, Simpson-Daniel and Morgan had combined to play him in out wide, before Rory Lawson fed Simpson-Daniel from a five-metre scrum and the tricky winger did the rest, slaloming his way to the line.

The 16-point lead was always going to prove too much for Newcastle, and Simpson-Daniel soon added a fifth Gloucester try, racing in from 45 metres after Lawson's initial break.

Newcastle No 8 Phil Dowson powered over for a third, late try – which Clegg converted – but it was far too little, far too late for a determined but outclassed visiting team.

Gloucester: O Morgan; I Balshaw, M Watkins (W Walker 41), M Tindall (capt), J Simpson-Daniel; O Barkley (M Foster 77), G Cooper (R Lawson 53); N Wood (D Young 80), S Lawson (O Azam 53), A Dickinson, M Bortolami, A Brown, P Buxton (A Satala 77), A Strokosch, L Narraway (A Hazell 40).

Scorers: Tries – Balshaw (3), Simpson-Daniel (2). Con – Walker. Pens – Barkley (4).

Newcastle: S Jones; O Phillips, J Noon, T May, T Visser (S Davey 66); J Wilkinson (R Clegg 28), H Charlton (M Young 75); M Ward (J McDonnell 64), M Thompson (A Long 53), C Hayman, A Perry (T Swinson 53), M Sorenson, A Balding (R Winter 40), E Williamson, P Dowson (capt).

Scorers: Tries – Thompson, May, Dowson. Con – Clegg. Pens – Wilkinson, Clegg.

Sin-binned: Jones (63-75, killing the ball).

Ref: D Rose. Att: 12,861.