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Ligoniel’s Jojo McArdle got the better of Italy’s Masseti Tiziano as County Antrim edged past their European opponents at Belfast’s Balmoral Hotel on Friday and Saturday night while, pictured right, Sinead Owens of Gilford ABC launches an attack during her showdown with Spain’s Illiana Malero on Saturday night. A big crowd came out to support some of the top emerging talent in Ulster, and they weren’t disappointed as Co Antrim won 7-4 on both nights.
Friday night results: Ulster final, B1 41.5kg: C O’Neill (Star) bt C McNally (St Paul’s) 2-1; 57kg novice S Manero (Spain) bt A Rankin (Canal) 3-0; F Mazilli (Spain) bt T McDonnell (Townland) 3-0; 57kg open: P McLarnon (Abbey) bt E Bournat (France) 2-1; T McCann (St Paul’s) v BP Trancesco (Italy) 3-0; 60kg open: J Douglas (Antrim) bt B Michall (Greece) 3-0; JP Hale (Star) bt DS Andrea 3-0; 64kg novice: R Anthanasios (Greece) bt K Killen (Scorpion) RSC3; 64kg open: J McArdle (Ligoniel) bt M Tizaiano (Italy) 3-0; 69kg novice: T McMahon (Star) bt M Morrone (Italy) 2-1, A Ahmed (Ormeau Road) bt A Navalon (Spain); 54kg senior female: I Melero (Spain) bt S Owens (Gilford) 3-0
Saturday night results: 57kg novice: M O’Doherty (Clonard) bt S Manero (Spain) 3-0; F Mazilli (Spain) bt S Smith (Saints) RSC1; 57kg open: BP Trancesco (Italy) bt P McClarnon (Abbey) 3-0; 57kg open: T McCann (St Paul’s) bt E Bournat (France); 64kg novice: R Anthanasios (Greece) bt K Gillen (St Paul’s) 3-0; 64kg open: B Ferran (Clonard) bt M Tiziano (Italy); 69kg novice: T McMahon (Star) bt A Navalon (Spain) 3-0, A Ahmed (Ormeau Road) bt M Morrone (Italy) 3-0; 69kg open: E Vuskans (Glengormley) bt V Nicolo (Italy) 3-0; 75kg novice: H Monaghan (Holy Trinity) v B Aristeidis (Greece 3-0; 86kg novice: V Sylvain bt J Davison (Albert Foundry) 3-0
LEAD
BELFAST’S Michaela Walsh bowed out of the AIBA World Elite Championships at the hands of defending champion Alessia Mesiano in New Delhi, India yesterday.
The Monkstown featherweight, a two-time Commonwealth Games silver medallist, had hoped to record a second victory over Mesiano in the space of five months after edging past her experienced opponent at the European Elite Championships back in June.
However, it wasn’t to be after a cagey contest that failed to ever really catch fire.
Walsh played a game of cat and mouse with the Italian early on, boxing predominantly on the back foot while Mesiano tried to force the pace without landing much clean.
There was little to choose between them in the opening two rounds, with the Italian perhaps being rewarded for her greater industry as she sought to push Walsh back, though the pair came together in a number of messy tangle, disrupting any kind of flow.
Walsh was much better in the third, using her jab to dominate and push Mesiano back any time she ventured forward, but it wasn’t enough in the end as the judges gave the defending champion the nod on a 4-1 split.
Later in the day Amy Broadhurst followed the lead of lightweight Kellie Harrington by advancing to today’s quarter-finals after posting an impressive win over Armenian Ani Hovsepyan.
The Dundalk light-welter boxed beautifully to score a unanimous decision win and secure a last eight showdown with India’s Kaur Baatth.
Harrington, meanwhile, meets Canadian lightweight Caroline Veyre, who she beat in the 2017 Celtic Box Cup final in Dungarvan. The St Mary’s fighter is aiming for her second successive World Elite medal having secured light-welterweight silver in Kazakhstan two years ago.
There was disappointment for Ireland in yesterday morning’s session as Welsh middleweight Lauren Price advanced to the last eight at the expense of Aoife O’Rourke following a close, hard fought encounter.
O’Rourke, a silver medallist at the European U22s, held the centre of the ring for most of the three rounds, working hard and found the target with two big right hands at the start of the second and third.
Price, a European Elite bronze medallist, impressed on the counter in all three rounds to catch the eye of the judges and book her quarter-final spot.
There were strange scenes in one of yesterday’s opening bouts when Ceire Smith lost on a 3-2 split decision after it went back to the judges following a majority draw against Japan’s Namiki Tukimi.
The Cavan flyweight countered well, particularly in rounds one and two, against the aggressive Tukimi, who received a public warning for punching the Smith on the back of the head in the third.
The judges’ scorecards read 28-28, 28-28, 28-28 and 29-27, 29-27 to Smith but, when it went back to the judges, they sided with Tukimi on a 3-2 split.
“I was sure I actually had done enough,” said Smith afterwards, “I’m gutted to be honest.”
LEFT HOOKS
Dominic Bradley will lead the Ulster charge when the Irish Senior Championship semi-finals take place at Dublin’s National Stadium on Friday night.
The talented Errigal lightweight, who captained the Northern Ireland team that headed to the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games, accounted for Crumlin’s Paul Alexander last weekend and Drimnagh’s Patryk Adamus stands between him and a place in the final.
Elsewhere, Townland flyweight Ben Nelson faces a tough last four clash with Terry Donohue of St Michael’s, Athy while Monkstown’s Conor Kerr is up against Ryston’s Scott O’Connor in the bantamweight semi-final.
Derry super-heavy Patrick Rogers was forced out of his semi-final when he injured a hand in the second round of his showdown with Crumlin’s Martin Stokes.
Already through to finals night, on November 30, is Immaculata pocket rocket Caitlin Fryers who will take on Castlebar’s Kirsten Cresham in the 51kg decider, while Holy Family’s Diarmuid Toland has received a walkover in the light-flyweight division.
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THE Holy Trinity club in Turf Lodge will host a night of exhibition bouts at the Holy Trinity Youth Centre on Friday (Holy Trinity fighters listed first).
Girl 2 48kg: R Mallon v G Maginess (Gleann); Boy1 48kg: A O’Rawe v S Curley (Saints); Boy 4 57kg: L Kambule v Aaron Marrow (Comber); Boy 5 57kg: D Reilly v J Boyd (Comber); Senior 54kg: S Hardy v S Owens (Gilford); Boy 4 42kg: A Lawlor v J McGrath (St Agnes’s); 10 year 34kg: B Ferran v A Mackel (both Holy Trinity); Boy1 37kg: J Malone v J Rodgers (Saints); Boy 2 32kg: C Fegan v C Phillips (Saints); Boy 2 31kg: J Kelly v K Reilly (Immaculata); Boy 5
42kg: C Mullan v B McComiskey (Gilford); Boy 5 56kg: C Sloan v B Reilly (Saints); Boy 3 42kg: K Smith v L Hill (Gilford); Boy 5 40kg: D Bradley v C Taylor (Gleann); Boy 5 46kg: M McLintock v R Mongan (Gilford); Boy 5 54kg: C McCann v J O’Donnell (St George’s); Senior
70kg: E McNamee v S Kennedy (BABA); Senior 70kg: I Keys v R Finlay (BABA); Boy 6 57kg C Fisher v P McLarnon (BABA); U18 75kg: H Monaghan v TJ Doherty (Gleann)
