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04/12/2007
England v Ireland Schoolboy Dual Match - Team manager's report
DAY ONE (30/11/07)
ASSEMBLY/TRAVEL
The majority of the team assembled at Hotel Elizabeth, Ipswich just before 10am and checked into their rooms. The boxing match would take place at the same venue later that day at 8.30pm.
WEIGH-IN/MEDICAL
The official weigh-in was conducted at 10am. All England boxers made the stipulated weight. At 6.30pm all members of the England team successfully underwent a medical examination.
Bout 1
42kg Conner Nixon beat George Bates 8:7
This proved to be one of the closest bouts of the night with Connor just edging out Bates in the last round.
Bout 2
44kg Joe Costello beat Martin Stokes 12:3
Joe started in commanding fashion, forcing a standing 8 count in the opening round. Joe gave an overall stylish performance, with a particularly dominant last round, winning it 6:1.
Bout 3
57kg Ben Jones lost to Michael Reilly 7:15
Ben had a tough night as he suffered a standing 8 count in the 2nd and a warning in the last for hitting on the break, however the final score line seemed harsh on the English lad and did not give a fair reflection of his effort.
Bout 4
46kg Chris Smith lost to Michael Reilly rsc3
The Irish lad proved a very aggressive and effective boxer forcing the pace throughout. Chris suffered a standing 8 count in the 2nd and a heavy nose bleed in the last, which ultimately failed the Dr's inspection. To his credit, Chris battled all the way.
Bout 5
46kg Quais Ashfaq beat Eric Finnegan rsc3
Quais gave a quality display, mesmerising his opponent with eye catching foot movement and hand speed. Finnegan suffered a nose bleed from the 1st, a warning in the second and a standing 8 count in the last, which sealed his fate, with the referee halting proceedings.
Bout 6
48kg Henry Thomas beat Michael McDonagh rsco2
Henry was on fire in this contest with ferocious left hooks to the body causing the damage. Mcdonagh received an 8 count in the first and another in the second after being dropped by a body shot. The whistle sounded half way through the second, with the score line at 17-2, producing the mandatory outclasses stoppage. Incidentally, this fantastic win for Henry, reverses an earlier loss in the European Schoolboy championships to Mcdonagh back in September.
Bout 7
52kg Mieley Lee lost to Chris Joyce 3:20
Miley had the misfortune to draw arguably the best Irish boxer on show. However he stuck to his task and never made it easy for southpaw Joyce. Again, the eventual score line seemed a bit harsh on the English lad.
Bout 8
55kg Zak Smith lost to Chris Mullalley 7:9
Zak produced a good opening round winning 4:2, yet the tall Irish lad worked his way back into contention with useful hooks to the body. A close decision was nicked by Mullalley at the death.
Bout 9
60kg Francis Bennett lost to Joe Ward 6:21
Another good class Irish lad caused plenty of problems for Francis. The heavy handed Ward forced an 8 count in the second and a nosebleed on the gallant English boxer, who went down fighting.
Bout 10
41kg Charlie Edwards lost to Ryan Burnett disq3
Team Captain Edwards was in an all action bout with his Irish counterpart, with both boxers displaying a high work rate. In the last round, with Charlie way behind on points, Burnett complained he had been bit on the arm. The referee upheld the complaint and awarded the bout to Burnett by way of disqualification.
Bout 11
63kg James Kelly beat Raymond Ginley rsc2
James stopped the Irish in their tracks, after 4 English defeats in a row, with a fine display. James switched his assaults from head to body well to force an 8 count in second round. His sheer pressure had Ginley in trouble, with the referee making a timely intervention for a much needed England win.
Bout 12
66kg Thomas Ghent beat Danny O'Brien 15:6
Thomas kept his composure and patience as he gradually wore down his opponent. His confidence grew as the bout wore on, demonstrated as he brought about the only 8 count of the bout against O'Brien in the last.
Bout 13
46kg Daniel Canmore lost to Ray Carroll 15:17
With the match at 7-7, Daniel had a lot of pressure on his shoulders and responded well in the first, taking a 6:4 lead. In a great battle, Daniel's earlier accurate counter punching faded as the Irish lad raised his game to sneak the closet of wins and secure the match for his team mates.
DAY TWO (1/12/07)
After a 08.30am breakfast, a brief team meeting was held for those that stayed overnight. The team disembarked on their homeward journeys at 09.30.
END RESULT - ENGLAND 6 IRELAND 7
Although England were just piped at the final hurdle, they can take heart with their performances. Within the match, there were 3 dominant exhibitions (Ashfaq, Thomas and Kelly) that stole the show, which augurs well for the future of English boxing. Ultimately, valuable experience was gained by the entire team, which will stand them in good stead for future international duties.
GENERAL ROUTINE
The team spent the day within the hotel and generally relaxed in their rooms. At 4pm I conducted a meeting with the team to go through details relating to the match.
COACHES
Nick Tansley (Eastern Counties) in his international debut as head coach, assisted by Kevin Hay (Western Counties) both ensured the boxers entered the ring in top condition. They are to be congratulated for their work in assisting an England team to come within a whisker of winning the match.
THE BOXERS
The conduct of the boxers was good throughout their stay in Ipswich.
ACCOMODATION
The majority of the team stayed at the Hotel Elizabeth after the boxing match had been concluded.
HOSPITALITY
The brief stay in Suffolk was pleasant and our hosts Ipswich ABC ensured rooms and food were in good order, for which we were grateful.
Martin Webb
Team Manager
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