Kilkenny 18
Gorey 23
Kilkenny have suffered defeat on their return to competitive action as Gorey came away with the points in the opening round of Division 1A in the Leinster League.
It was a tight and cagey affair during the opening 25 minutes as Gorey applied sustained pressure close to Kilkenny’s try line throughout the early stages.
Their dominance eventually led to the visitors opening the scoring with a penalty as they moved 0-3 ahead.
Kilkenny responded with a bright spell of their own and drew level after 25 minutes with their first penalty of the afternoon after a rare example of ill-discipline from a strong Gorey defence.
The first try of the game went to the hosts as they built up the phases before eventually crossing to move into an 8-3 lead after the conversion attempt went just wide.
There was time for one more penalty from the Wexford club before the interval as they reduced the deficit to two points, 8-6.
The second half belonged to the travelling side as they quickly went ahead with two quickfire tries, one a penalty try, the other unconverted, as they made it a two-score game midway through a largely one-sided half.
Kilkenny looked to have got into a position to snatch a victory with a try of their own, but Gorey responded with their third try of the game to keep a spirited Kilkenny side at arm’s length.
Kilkenny knocked over one more penalty, but it was Gorey who saw the game out as they come away from Kilkenny with an impressive 18-23 victory.
Despite the disappointing result for Kilkenny, the high-performance level showcased at this stage of the season would suggest that they are on the right track and results will come sooner rather than later.
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