The "for sale" signs have come down at Newcastle — and not just at St James' Park. Mike Ashley took Newcastle United off the market yesterday just hours after the Falcons chairman, Dave Thompson, made it clear the Kingston Park club would be staying under his direct control.

Thompson watched his relegation-threatened Falcons blow a 13–3 lead to draw 16–16 in front of a crowd of just over 7,000 and said: "I am a proud Geordie and a firm believer in professional rugby for this area, and in pulling together with our supporters we know that progress can be made to cement that future and get us going up the league again. People down south and in the national press can snipe and spread all the rumours they want but the passion for top-class rugby in this area remains undiminished."

Thompson confirmed earlier this month he would not be selling the Falcons despite protracted negotiations with several interested parties and Saturday's statement should do much to dispel rumours which have plagued the club. The Darlington-based property millionaire John Parkinson, a former Falcons chief executive, has returned as non-executive director and joined the board but Thompson remains chairman and sole owner.

The Falcons are struggling in the Premiership and they missed a golden chance to move up the table after surging into a 10-point lead; and they may well have hung on but for a Rory Clegg clanger. Clegg took a quick throw-in to himself and it all went wrong with a turnover from which Pat Sanderson eventually scored. Eoghan Hickey kicked the equalising conversion.

"Am I going to publicly criticise him for taking a quick lineout? Of course not," said the Newcastle director of rugby, Steve Bates. "If he'd caught the ball and smashed it 40 yards downfield we'd all be saying what a genius he is. On reflection he will probably say it wasn't the right decision but I'm certainly not going to castigate him because I thought he played really well when you consider he is an 18-year-old being asked to start regularly in a league as tough as the Premiership."

Clegg did show glimpses of his undoubted talent with an instinctive crossfield kick for Phil Dowson to score the opening try. Clegg's conversion, followed by a penalty five minutes later, put Newcastle 13–3 ahead. Hickey trimmed the lead with two penalties and Clegg missed one which might have settled his side before that major error which let Worcester off the hook.

Newcastle May; Visser, Noon, Tu'ipulotu, Rudd; Clegg, Young (Grindal 59); Golding, Thompson, D Wilson (Hayman, 34), Swinson, Sorenson, Balding (Parling, 59), B Wilson, Dowson (capt).

Try Dowson. Con Clegg. Pen Clegg 3.

Worcester Latham; Gear, Rasmussen, Tuitupou, Pennell; Hickey, R Powell (M Powell 61); Mullan (Horsman 63), Lutui, Horsman (Taumoepeau, 56), Rawlinson, Gillies (Bowley 56), Talei, Sanderson (capt), Horstmann.

Try Sanderson. Con Hickey. Pen Hickey 3.

Referee S Davey (Sussex). Attendance 7,108.