LONDON Irish were plunged closer to the Aviva Premiership relegation trap door after Gloucester’s smash-and-grab 33-29 victory at Madejski Stadium.

Declan Kidney’s first match in charge of the Exiles got off to a positive start when then home side led 17-0 on Saturday.

But the Cherry and Whites staged an impressive recovery to go 19-17 up at the break before securing the win that sent them into the top six.

Meanwhile, Irish remain rooted to the foot of the table having won just two of their 18 league games this season.

Kidney’s men did close the gap on Worcester Warriors above to 10 points courtesy of a couple of bonus points on Saturday.

But it will still take a miracle to keep them up with only four fixtures remaining starting with a trip to Harlequins on Saturday, April 7.

It had started so well for new boss Kidney against Gloucester in Irish’s annual St Patrick’s Party fixture which drew in a bumper crowd of more than 15,000.

James Marshall’s early penalty put Exiles in front and they pulled further away with two converted tries before the 18 minute mark.

Second-row Josh McNally, playing his first match since corrective heart surgery, bulldozed his way over in the 11th minute.

Then seven minutes later Piet van Zyl’s show-and-go tricked the visitors before the South African scrum-half darted over.

But a pulsating first-half then saw Gloucester reply with three tries of their own in a devastating 10-minute burst.

James Hanson crashed over from close range for their first points of the day.

Reading Chronicle:

Alex Lewington is tackled in the defeat to Gloucester.

Then Tom Marshall and Lewis Ludlow touched down for a quick-fire double to put the visitors 19-17 ahead at the break.

Exiles were grateful to see a Gloucester try chalked off by the TMO for obstruction five minutes into the second period.

And Gloucester were cursing their luck again when another score was disallowed for a forward pass.

But it was a brief reprieve for Irish as the visitors crossed for a legal score on 56 minutes when Mark Atkinson brushed off two tackles before dotting down under the posts.

Tom Marshall, brother of Irish’s James, squeezed in at the corner five minutes later before Billy Burns added the extras to put Gloucester 33-17 ahead.

Exiles dug deep and clawed their way back with a barnstorming finish to the game.

They reduced the deficit when Joe Cokanasiga’s off-load sent Theo Brophy Clews over the line.

Then Cokanasiga powered over himself following a strong carry down the touchline to leave his side four points behind.

But Gloucester’s defence held firm in the closing stages as Irish came up just short.

London Irish: Marshall (Bell, 57), Cokanasiga, Fowlie (Tikoirotuma, 57), Williams, Lewington, Brophy Clews, van Zyl (Steele, 57), Franks (Elrington, 57), Paice (Porecki, 53), Hoskins (Du Plessis, 57), van der Merwe, McNally (De Chaves, 53), Botha (Gilsenan, 79), Gilsenan (Schatz, 70), Treviranus.

Gloucester: Woodward, Sharples, Trinder (Twelvetrees, 48), Atkinson, Marshall, Burns (Twelvetrees, 22), Heinz (c) (Braley, 76), Hohneck (Ruskin, 62), Hanson (Matu'u, 59), Afoa (Denman, 73), Savage, Galarza (Thrush, 65), Polledri (Clarke, 73), Ludlow, Ackermann.

Referee: Matthew Carley.