As they stagger through a gruelling sequence of late-season fixtures, London Wasps look as though they still have plenty of running left for the Guinness Premiership play-offs.

This was the second of three matches in seven days and they were far from perfect against an inexperienced Newcastle team last night, but when Josh Lewsey scored their fourth try to secure a bonus point with four minutes left, Wasps suggested they have the stamina to last the distance.

After losing at home to Gloucester on Sunday they have jumped back into third place and, as Gloucester and Bath, the top two, meet on Saturday, Wasps could yet clinch a home semi-final. For Lawrence Dallaglio, who was rested last night, that would provide a fitting farewell in front of his home crowd before retirement. Wasps travel to face Leeds Carnegie, who have been relegated, at the weekend. “I don’t know how fresh we’ll be, but we’ve given ourselves a chance,” Shaun Edwards, the Wasps head coach, said.

As ever, Wasps were devastating on the counter-attack and although they made plenty of mistakes, a powerful forward performance and some clinical finishing carried them home.

Newcastle were without all four of their England backs. Mathew Tait was ruled out by a hip injury, forcing him to miss the last home game before his move to Sale Sharks. Jonny Wilkinson’s shoulder injury forced him out of a duel with Danny Cipriani, while Jamie Noon and Toby Flood were also injured.

Wasps made eight changes and shuffled their backs, with Riki Flutey, normally a centre, used as a makeshift full back. Flutey looked uneasy under an early shower of high balls, but he soon began to launch counter-attacks from deep. In the 29th minute he caught his own chip and found support down the left from Paul Sackey and Lewsey before James Haskell plunged over.

To the delight of a sell-out crowd, Newcastle replied promptly as Rob Miller, the England Under-20 fly half, glided away from a tackle and released Tom May down the right, but Wasps were soon back in the lead with a try fashioned entirely by their back row. Haskell hurtled through the middle with John Hart in support and Tom Rees dived over from short range.

That gave Wasps a 15-8 advantage, but Newcastle scored again before half-time and Miller was involved once more. He chased a loose ball after Wasps had knocked on and Steve Jones chipped to the right, where May put Ollie Phillips clear.

Newcastle were only 15-13 down at the break, but they were undone early in the second half by another Wasps surge from deep. The home side were turned over in their opponents’ 22, Wasps moved the ball right with bewildering speed and Cipriani sent Sackey free to score from 80 metres. Edwards later described Sackey as “the best wing in Europe”.

At 25-13 the game was won, but Wasps would not have been content without a bonus point, which duly arrived when Lewsey sliced through a tiring defence. That extra point could prove crucial on Saturday.

Scorers: Newcastle Falcons: Tries: May (32min), Phillips (40+1). Penalty goal: May (7). London Wasps: Tries: Haskell (29), Rees (36), Sackey (43), Lewsey (80+1). Conversions: Cipriani 3. Penalty goals: Cipriani 2 (22, 60).

Scoring sequence (Newcastle first): 3-0, 3-3, 3-8, 8-8, 8-15, 13-15 (half-time), 13-22, 13-25, 13-32.

Newcastle Falcons: A Tait (rep: R Miller, 14); O Phillips, T May, T Visser, J Rudd; S Jones, H Charlton (rep: M Young, 60); M Ward (rep: D Wilson, 46), M Thompson (rep: R Batty, 72), C Hayman (rep: Ward, 72), G Parling, M Sorensen (rep: A Perry, 65), P Dowson (rep: P Browne, 54), B Wilson (rep: E Williamson, 46), R Winter.

London Wasps: R Flutey; P Sackey, F Waters (rep: M van Gisbergen, 53), D Waldouck, J Lewsey; D Cipriani (rep: J Staunton, 80+2), E Reddan; T Payne, J Ward (rep: J Buckland, 60), P Barnard (rep: T French, 53), G Skivington (rep: S Shaw, 60), R Birkett, J Haskell, T Rees, J Hart (rep: J Worsley, 72).

Referee: R Debney.

Attendance: 10,200.