European schoolboy champion John Joyce progressed to the last-four of the National Senior Cadet Championships following a well deserved 10-3 decision over Sean Garvey at the National Stadium this morning.
Joyce, a two-time European Schoolboy Championships medalist, will meet Conor Martin, who withstood a late surge from Cork’s Adam Curley, in the semi-finals. Bernard McDonagh and Conor Garvey advanced from the other two 54Kg quarter-finals today.
The 57Kg deciders went the way of Stephen Myres, Michael McDonagh, Adam Kelly and Darren Pollock, who forced Jonathan Mongan into two standing counts. Kelly had one point to spare over Colm Markey, while McDonagh was involved in a very open bout with Jack Crean, the Wexford featherweight throwing everything into attack into the final round. However, McDonagh held his composure to pick off some fine shots in the third frame.
Mark McCole, Wayne Kelly, Jack Connolly and Chris O’Callaghan, via the first countback of the tournament versus Tony McGlen, earned the lightweight plaudits. Kelly held off a strong comeback from Shane O’Neill in the third. Connolly, a three-time Irish champion, laid the platform for his win over Gerard Storey with a fine first round, the classy Tipperary teenager scoring with lefts to the body and hooks to the head.
Martin Collins and Damien Joyce progressed on identical margins of victory in two of the 63Kg showdowns. Darryl Byrne and Dylan Ward also had their hands raised in triumph in this weight category.
Clare’s Keelan Sexton claimed the first of the 75Kg duels, the Ennis BC middleweight holding a 9-2 advantage heading into the final round with Jonathan Ward.
Mayo’s Michael Sweeney scored a solid 9-4 win over Niall McCabe, while the all-Donegal derby between Francis Mongan and Michael McConigley went the way of the Letterkenny BC prospect.
The first round of this encounter finished tied at 4-4, both boxers taking it in turns to score with raking left jabs. Mongan, attempting to drop a right over McConigley’s guard in the second, was tagged with a left as McConigley upped his work-rate to open up a 9-5 lead on his way to an 11-7 verdict.
Cashen Vale BC power-puncher Brian Wall secured the final victory of the session versus Eddie Mills.
Afternoon session
Young Patrick Stokes looks a tremendous prospect. The St Seachnalls BC (Co. Meath) stand out showed tremendous skill and poise – and the ability to slip a punch – to earn a 12-6 decision over the brave challenge of Michael Sweeney in the first of today’s National Senior Cadet semi-finals at the National Stadium.
Stokes will face Tommy Maughan in Sunday’s 36Kg decider. Maughan, who has one Irish title to his name, shared the first round 2-2 with the hard-working Regan Buckley before finding the target with some excellent shots in the second on his way to victory.
Jamie Conroy caught Willie O’Donoghue with a solid right in the first, but the St Michael’s Athy man landed some fine shots of his own in the second to edge 7-6 ahead. Conroy had the better of the opening exchanges in the third. However, O’Donoghue began to find the target going down the final stretch to shade a 10-9 win from an excellent 42Kg contest.
Cork’s Luke O’Shea, meanwhile, came from behind to beat Martin Stokes – who was 2-1 up after the first – in the corresponding semi-final. Stokes went chasing the fight in the third, but O’Shea held his composure to drop three lefts over his shoulder to seal victory.
The 44kg, 46Kg and 48Kg semi-finals went the way of Bernard Ward, who beat his own Ballyhaunis BC club-mate Michael Maughan, impressive Irish champion Ryan Green – who had four points to spare over the gallant Padraig Mackle – Martin Stokes, also of the Mulhuddart club, Michael Nevin, Martin Ward, a first cousin and a Gurteen BC club-mate mate of John Ward, who was beaten by Nevin, and Jason McKay.
Calum McConville, with an edge-of-the-seat win over Piaras Casey, and Colm Molly, with a close decision over Anthony Malanaphy, progressed to the 50Kg final.
The tall and rangy Gary Cully had his hand raised in victory at the expense of Neil McClerkin in the first of the 52Kg duels. Olympic BC ace James Cleary – who earned a convincing 17-4 verdict over Paul Kiely – won the second.
Lewis Crocker and Justin Barrett didn’t have to go looking for each other in the ring in the opening two minutes. The Cairn Lodge and Olympic prospects set about their business with intent in the first round, both finding the target with some big shots.
Crocker took that stanza 4-3 and extended his advantage to 8-4 by the end of the second en route to victory. Meantime, the all-Cork light-middleweight clash went the way of Luke Thomas following a tactial three-rounder with John Keenan.
Thomas was 2-1 and 4-3 ahead at the end of rounds one and two and 6-4 ahead at the final bell.
Paddy Joyce, with a close decision over Tommy Maughan, Martin Collins, Michael Gallagher and Aaron Kelly won the final four semi-finals of the session.
The Championships resume on Sunday morning (April 1st) with semi-finals and finals.
Sunday’s weigh-in will be held between 8.30am and 9.30am.
The 54Kg, 57Kg, 60Kg, 63Kg and 75Kg finals will be decided at the upcoming Boy 1, 2 & 3 Championships.
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- Jack Connolly in action
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- John Joyce
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- Lewis Crocker
