Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall was delighted to take five points from his side's Aviva Premiership clash with Newcastle at their Kingston Park stronghold.

The reigning domestic and European champions condemned the Falcons to their first home league defeat of 2017 as fly-half Alex Lozowski scored 20 points in a 35-27 victory that keeps them in touch with leaders Wasps.

"We were pretty clinical when we got some opportunities or half-opportunities," McCall said. "I thought we defended well in the first 65 minutes because they are unbelievably dangerous and play some great rugby.

"For us to come up here and get five tries and five points is a good achievement."

Newcastle had the encouragement of two early penalties from Sonatane Takulua but failed to make the most of a series of breaks from dangerous threequarters Juan Pablo Socino, Vereniki Goneva and Sinoti Sinoti.

Saracens led 18-6 at half-time and clinched victory on 56 minutes when Lozowski scored his second try of the match after intercepting a pass from his opposite number Joel Hodgson.

Brothers Billy, making his first appearance for the club since November after overcoming a knee injury, and Mako Vunipola came off for the last eight minutes with Saracens leading 35-13 and that gave Newcastle the impetus to produce a rousing finish which brought them tries through Goneva and David Wilson.

"That was a little bit disappointing because we set high standards and we want our bench to come on and contribute," McCall added "But they have got some players who are hard to handle and, when they get on a roll like that, they are as good as anybody on attack."

Newcastle director of rugby Dean Richards admitted the champions gave his side a lesson in taking their chances.

"We are disappointed but it's probably a measure of where we are at this moment in time," Richards said.

"We are a side which is evolving and we are getting there but we went off-script a little bit. We didn't do what we said we were going to do and when you're up against a side as accurate as Saracens time and time again, it comes back to haunt you.

"We missed three try-scoring opportunities. Had we taken those it might have been a different thing altogether, but you've got to take them and we didn't. That was probably the story of the day, really, and Saracens were far more clinical than we were."

"I am pretty upset about today and I know the players are as well."