Under the guidance of coaches Tony Davis and Lawrence Colhoun the Ardagh/Crossmolina club has become renowned for producing young boxers of high technical calibre. So no surprise when last Friday evening, the north Mayo faithful packed the Lahardane community centre to enjoy the finest boxing fare. Setting the tone and the pattern, young Cathal Davis laid the night’s foundation with his solid performance.
Amy Blake took on a top Tyrone opponent but made it look easy with a mesmerisingly relaxed display, while Jack McHale’s pace blitzed his opponent out of contention. Michaela Murphy against Sienna McAndrew was a closer encounter. The two traded like dockers throughout this contest and both should be credited for tenacity, but it was Murphy’s hand that deserved to be raised. Patrick McAndrew's bout with Sligo’s Cathal Myers was perhaps the toughest fight of the night. McAndrew appeared to be conceding advantages in all departments, age, weight, and certainly experience, but he did not appear to be fazed as he took the fight to Myers with gusto and it made for a terrific spectacle. McAndrew initially found his target easily with his jab and long crosses but midway through the second round the tide turned. Myers adapted and began to use feints to force McAndrew to commit, opening the way for his own backhand and hook combinations. Myers throws a beautiful overhand right and going into the third he began timing McAndrew’s attacks to land some convincing shots. This was not his day but McAndrew has huge heart and should take much from this contest. The best bout of the night was Matthew Davis versus Sligo’s Thomas Myers. There was nothing between them and the judges had their work cut out, but Davis just seemed to have the edge. In the third that was confirmed when, going into the final minute, he found the target with a big right hand that wobbled Myers and let the judges off the hook.
Results (Home first )
B1: C Davis 3-0 J Murphy (Swinford ), B2: D Tolan 3-0 A McDonnell (KFC ), G2: A Blake 3-0 E Kiloran (Bishop Kelly, Omagh ), B4: C Cosgrove 3-0 E Barrett, B4: J McHale 3-0 F Gill (Ardnaree ), G5: M Murphy 3-0 S McAndrew (Geesala ), B4: A Gallagher 3-0 K Collins (Charlestown ), Y2: A Brennan (Charlestown ) 3-0 A Maughan (Castlebar ), U23: M Davis 2-1 T Myers (Sligo ), Senior: J Daly 3-0 B Kennedy (Ballinacarrow ).
Mayo and Donegal clash in inter-county competition
A team from the Mayo Boxing Development Unit take on counterparts from Donegal in Westport this weekend at St Anne’s Boxing Club’s Gym. These inter-county matches are designed to give Mayo’s boxers much needed high performance experience and as such they are testing encounters. The Mayo team is: Fionn Curtis (Achill ), Gracian Fazciszewska (Aglish ), Peter Maughan (Ballyhaunis ), Eoighan Lavin (Ballyhaunis ), Fionn Gill (Ardnaree ), Sean Dunleavy (Charlestown ), Dillon Maher (Castlebar ), Patrick McAndrew (Ardagh/Crossmolina ), Martin McDonagh (Ballina ), Oisin Lally (Geesala ), Thomas Ward (Ballina ), Cian Mullen (Ardagh/Crossmolina ), Adam Dempsey (Achill ), Alan Brennan (Charlestown ), Owen McDonagh (St Anne’s ), Oisin Brown (Ardnaree ), Martin Ward (Ballina ), Matthew McDonagh (Geesala ).
