Kilkenny lose out in league to local rivals Carlow in Foulkstown

Carlow claimed a comprehensive bonus-point victory in Foulkstown on Sunday afternoon, defeating Kilkenny 22–0 in a match where the home side never managed to find their rhythm.

The visitors struck early and controlled proceedings throughout, leaving Kilkenny still searching for their first home win of the season.

Carlow opened the scoring after just seven minutes, crossing for their first try following sustained pressure in the Kilkenny 22.

The difficult wind made kicking a challenge all day, and the conversion drifted wide to keep the score at 5–0.

Kilkenny had a chance to respond shortly after when winger Sima Costa stepped up for a penalty attempt, but his kick fell short in the swirling breeze - an early sign of the struggles to come.

Matters worsened for the home side when Carlow added a second try within the next seven minutes.

Again the conversion was missed, but Carlow’s 10–0 lead reflected their dominance in territory and physicality. Kilkenny’s situation deteriorated further when back-rower Johnny Young was shown a yellow card, leaving the hosts down to 14 men.

The pressure eventually told shortly before the break: the Kilkenny defence was split open, and a missed tackle allowed Carlow to crash over for their third try, giving them a commanding half-time lead at 17-0.

The home crowd and management could only hope for a spark in the second half.

Kilkenny conceded a string of penalties, disrupting any attacking rhythm, and their handling errors further stalled momentum.

A glimmer of hope appeared when Carlow were shown a yellow card, briefly reducing them to 14 men.

But Kilkenny failed to capitalise, unable to find penetration even with the numerical advantage.

Momentum slipped away entirely when Kilkenny’s number 8, Harry Prineas, was shown a yellow card of his own - an echo of earlier disciplinary issues that plagued the squad throughout the afternoon.

As the match entered its final stages, Carlow sealed the result with their fourth try, securing a bonus point triumph at 22–0 and putting the game far beyond Kilkenny’s reach.

It was an extremely disappointing day for Kilkenny, who struggled across the park and sorely missed the experience and leadership of Garry Dunne and Jason Connolly.

With just one win from seven league matches and still no home victories this season, the pressure is mounting.

Kilkenny must now regroup quickly ahead of next Sunday’s home clash with Gorey, the final Foulkstown fixture before the Christmas break.