Sport

Back in the day - Tommy Tolan blasts his way to Ulster final - The Irish News, Feb 12 1999

CLEVER... Jonathan McCombe from Antrim and Des Tracey of Mark Heagney ABC (left) in action at the Dockers Club last night
CLEVER... Jonathan McCombe from Antrim and Des Tracey of Mark Heagney ABC (left) in action at the Dockers Club last night CLEVER... Jonathan McCombe from Antrim and Des Tracey of Mark Heagney ABC (left) in action at the Dockers Club last night

THOMAS Tolan illustrated in explosive style how to strike when the iron is hot, producing a stunning third round knockout to reach next week’s Smithwick’s Ulster Senior Championship middleweight final.

Tolan, who fights out of Holy Trinity ABC, graphically demonstrated last night how one devastating punch can change a contest and pull a sensational win from the jaws of defeat.

The 26-year-old won the contest against Medley Hall’s Darren Boyd with his first scoring strike of the semi-final, which appeared to be going very much in Boyd’s favour.

Tolan’s opponent was 5-0 ahead on the computer scoring system when struck with a bolt from the blue.

A terrific left hook, planting full in Boyd’s face, sent the dominating fighter crashing to the canvas.

Boyd struggled to his feet but the referee made the right decision, Boyd unsteady on his feet, was taken back to the corner and a knock out result confirmed.

Michael McAllister, just turned 20 and in his first senior championship, recorded a famous result when defeating Ring ABC’s John Duddy to qualify for the final of the light middleweight division.

McAllister, who impressed in Tuesday’s quarter-finals, turned in another sparkling performance with his rapier-like left hand to give Belfast ABC, a young club just two-years-old, their first ever finalist of Ulster’s Premier Amateur Boxing Competition.

Lightweight: Thomas Hamill (All Saints) beat Sean Mallon (Sacred Heart, Newry) 16-7.

Light welterweight: Jonathan McCombe (Antrim) lost to Des Tracey (RSC 3).

Welterweight: Patrick Maguire (Immaculata) lost to Gary McClure (Abbey) 11-1;

Gary McCullagh (Ring) beat Andy Gibson (Larne) 11-3

Light middleweight: John Buddy (Ring) lost to Michael McAllister (Belfast ABC) 15-4.

Middleweight: Darren Boyd (Ledley Hall) lost to Thomas Tolan (Holy Trinity) IO-3.

Middleweight: Ciaran Healey (Immaculata) lost to Colail Carmichael (Holy Trinity) 12-4.

Light heavyweight: Mark O’Hare (Holy Trinity) beat Martin Mallon (Sacred Heart, Newry) 8-7. Tommy Donnelly (Mark Heagney ABC) lost to Patrick Smith (Keady) 8-8 (won 35-33 on countback).

Heavyweight: Ben McGarrigle (Omagh Boys) beat Hugh Mcnally (Randalstown) 7-1, Paul Doherty (Docker’s) lost to Shane O’Hagan (Bishop Kelly) rsc2.

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NEW Cavan boss Val Andrews has made four changes from Liam Austin’s final selection for Sunday’s home tie with Longford.

Ciaran Brady, Terry Farrelly and Patrick Shiels come into the defence at the expense of David Reilly, Philip Kermath and Raymond Galligan while Mark Leddy replaces his Cavan Gaels club-mate Cathal Collins at full-forward.

Fermanagh, who hammered the Breffni side in Austin’s final match before Christmas, have nevertheless been forced to make two changes for Sunday’s away encounter in Carlow.

Paul Courtney, centre half-back against Cavan, replaces the injured Clive Fitzpatrick at corner-back with Kieran Gallagher in for the injured Rory Gallagher.

In a side showing several position switches, Kieran Gallagher takes the centre half-back jersey while Tom Brewster will fill the No 11 jersey.

Cavan: D McCarthy, T Farrelly, C Brady, G Sheridan, A Forde, B Morris, P Shiels, D McCabe, P McKenna, R Rodgers, R Carolan, J Coffey, L Reilly, M Leddy, M Graham.

Fermanagh: C McAdam, P Courtney, P McGuinness, M Lilly, R Curran, K Gallagher, T Callaghan, P Brewster, D McGrath, C Courtney, T Brewster, S Maguire, Raymond Gallagher, S Quinn, S King Subs: Ronan Gallagher, S Breen, J Gilheaney, D McNulty, C McManus.

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ANTRIM have significantly reshaped their midfield and attack following their fortuitous 1-12 to 0-12 NFL victory against London last weekend.

The team for Sunday’s visit to Wicklow shows three personnel changes and five positional switches, all in the attacking half of the field.

Glenavy’s free-scoring Ronan Hamill comes in at full-forward and is joined at right corner-forward by Kevin Brady, as the Saffron management endeavour to avoid a repeat of the wastefulness shown at Casement.

James Murphy comes in at midfield. Joe Quinn reverts to midfield, effectively swapping roles with Paul McErlean at right half-forward, while Aidan Donnelly and Declan Gallagher drop back to join the latter, freeing further forward slots for the incoming Brady and Hamill.

Kevin Madden, striding clear as NFL leading scorer on 2-30, crosses the field again to don the left corner-forward jersey.

Antrim: D Shannon; P Mulholland, M Mulholland, L McCurdy, G Adams, T McCrudden, B Elliott, J Quinn, J Murphy, P McErlean, A Donnelly, D Gallagher, K Brady, R Hamill, K Madden

Subs: S McGreevy, P Grattan, C McKearney, C Murphy, J Barr, G Flynn, J McManus, A Finnegan, M Boyle, E McLarnon.

Monaghan: G Murphy, P McKenna, D McDermott, N Marron, E Murphy, D McKenna, J Conlon, C Ronaghan, A N Other, D Swift, P O’Connor, D Freeman, D Smyth, S McGinnity, I Larmer

Subs: J O’Connor, P Duffy, P Treanor, D McArdle, C Flanagan, J Coyle, G McGurk, P Hughes, K McGonnell, P McCaul, P Coyle, J McElroy.

Donegal: P Callaghan, N McCready, E Reddin, M Crossan, O Reid, N Hegarty, D Diver, J Ruane, J McGuinness, B Roper, A Sweeney, B Ward, J Duffy, B Mc Laughlin, B Devanney.

Tyrone: F McConnell, P Devlin, C Lawn, P McGurk, B Dooher, C Holmes, C Gourley, Pascal Canavan, C McBride, N McSorley, E Gormley, C Loughran, A Cush, M McGleenan, Peter Canavan.

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LITTLE Johnny Donnelly celebrated his call-up to the Ulster U16 team with a hat-trick as La Salle ended St Mary’s unbeaten record in the Canada Trophy at the RBAI pool yesterday writes Gerry O’Neill.

Denis O’Neill got the other goal of a 4-3 thriller which saw St Mary’s squander numerous scoring chances.

Damien McComb, Dermot Campfield and Declan McKerr got the St Mary’s goals.