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01/07/2009
GB Youth Championships - team manager's report
Everton Park Sports Centre - Liverpool, 25-27 June 2009
A team of 40 England boxers took part in this year's Great Britain Youth Championships.
Team manager Darren Chapple provided the following report.
Team captains: Class 5 - Wayne Cassap Class 6 - Anthony Fowler.
First session of boxing - Class 5
48kg Raza Hamza (England) v Iain Butcher (Scotland)
An early back hand and crisp left/right combination by Hamza took the early initiative. A tenacious Butcher continued throughout, looking for hooks and working the taller Hamza well. An even first two rounds by both boxers. Extremely tight guards made this bout hard to score, where both boxers continued to feel for opening shots, countering each other out. In the final round Butcher upped the work-rate considerably, working Hamza well with body and head shots and bringing home a tight 3-2 victory.
51kg L Lone (England) v Scott Allen (Scotland)
Lone started the faster of the boxers, with crisper, cleaner shots. Although Allen was responded well, Lone found his range early, countering with sharp rear hands. In the second Lone upped the pace from the bell, while Allen continued to walk onto a few rear hands, rushing in and maintaining the upper hand. Allen worked well on the counter but struggled to break down the faster and relentless Lone. A fast, hard pace in the third, both boxers worked the body and head well. A crisp left hook by Allen, followed by some fierce counter shots had this bout hanging in the balance at the bell. It was the stronger finishing of Lone that had the score in his favour 6-3 at the bell.
51kg Paul Crawley (England) v Christopher Ellery (Scotland)
The tall southpaw stance of Ellery countered well off the ropes as Crawley pushed the early stages of the bout. Crisp left/right combos from Crawley were followed with good right hooks and strong back hands, increasing the early score. Ellery had to chase from the initial stages, which suited Crawley as the bout developed. Ellery simply had to force the pace throughout, struggling at times with the continued right hooks and lead hand counters of Crawley. Both boxers worked tenaciously in the later stages, countering each other out to the final bell where Crawley took a 5-0 points win.
54kg George Veness (England) v Cries Liddell (Scotland)
A fierce fast pace from Liddell forced Veness onto the back foot early, which suited the English boxer as he started to counter well with the straight shots. Waiting patiently, Veness picked his shots with relative ease as the fast advancing Liddell continued to walk onto the lead hands. Simple straight shots from Veness scored easily and a good strong second round seemed to take this bout totally away from Liddell. Although during the later stages Liddell had the upper hand with his shot selection, it had little, if any, affect at all. Strong counter shots from Veness throughout the bout allowed him to control the bout winning with a comfortable 12-0 score.
54kg Robert Walker (England) v Zack Davies (Wales)
A strong performance from both boxers, the pair worked hard to body and head. Some sharp inside shots from Davies allowed him to be continually countered by the fast straight shots of Walker. Patiently waiting, the faster and superior cleaning counter shots of Davies scored better, while his greater work-rate throughout suited. Walker continued to work resolutely, and this was a strong, even tussle from two tactical boxers. The final score was 9-1 to Davies but Walker should be proud of his performance.
57kg Sahfig Asif (England) v Luke Fowler (Wales)
A good, strong start for Asif, who worked combinations to the head well. Fowler continued to lean on his lead hand, allowing Asif to counter him with ease. Some forceful back hands wore Fowler further and back hand counters helped Asif take the lead. Continuing the work rate the in second, covering well from the attacks of Fowler, the Welsh boxer had to force the pace. Clever countering body shots, great slipping and nifty footwork in the final round, Asif won 5-2 with a strong positive performance.
57kg Brett Breddon (England) v Connor Law (Scotland)
Both started fast. A slightly scrappy affair, it was Breddon who seemed to settle the better of the two. Some good countering shots from the English boxer had him in front in the early stages. Law continued to force the pace, his southpaw style causing problems for Breddon. Cleaner shots from Breddon and the better work rate seemed to suit him and resulted in a close 2-2 win (5-4 on count-back).
60kg Alfie Smith (England) v Conor McCallum (Scotland)
McCallum forced the early pace, with the scrappier style of Smith seeming to suit him well. Both boxers worked tenaciously throughout the first round, which ended even. Caught with some sloppy counter shots, the better work rate of McCallum seemed to take this bout away from Smith, who struggled with the countering work rate of the Scottish boxer in the early rounds. Smith needed a strong final round, and his ferocious pace forced the Scottish boxer on the retreat, but it was not enough for McCallum's strong 7-1 winning performance.
60kg Sam Bowen (England) v Mano Lee (Wales)
Bowen settled immediately against the taller Lee, forcing the early pace and catching him with some stiff body shots whilst countering well on the retreat. With an early lead in the bout, Bowen continued to work the Welsh boxer hard, forcing him on the retreat but also collecting some unnecessary counter shots. In the final round, Bowen slowed the work rate and chose his shots with improved accuracy, building a greater efficient scoring rate. At the bell Bowen scored a comfortable 10-2 win.
64kg Sam McNess (England) v Christopher McHale (Scotland)
A strong positive start from McNess. Clean, crisp counter shots in the early stages secured a comfortable early lead. McNess seemed to be oozing confidence, and flowing with fast foot-work, his sharp countering shots seemed to suit his leading approach. Forcing the pace further in the final round McHale struggled with the English boxer's style and confidence. At the bell it was a sound 4-0 winning score for Mcness.
64kg Steve Lewis (England) v Jason Evans (Wales)
Both boxers were very cagey to begin with, forcing the referee to intervene due to the lack of work rate. A better start in the second, both worked hard to force the initial mistakes. Good countering left hooks to the southpaw of Evans. This was a close bout and both boxers needed to take some sort of initiative to win, but Lewis' patience paid off. Countering well in the final stages with some strong rear hands, Evans took this bout to the bell, but it was Lewis who eventually won 2-2, with a count back score of 5-3.
69kg Anthony Carolan (England) v Joshua Barnes (Scotland)
Carolan started with the cleaner punches, catching Barnes very early with strong fierce rear hands and controlling the pace throughout. Barnes really started to struggle in the early stages as he continued to search for openings, working Carolan hard throughout with little success. Forcing an early standing count in the third, Barnes was unable to come to terms with the combination work and huge work-rate. At the bell it was a convincing 14-2 winning performance from Carolan.
69kg Danny Dignam (England) v Daniel Carey (Wales)
Southpaw Dignum took the early lead, forcing the pace throughout. Countering well off the ropes, Carey worked hard. A good second round by both boxers, Dignum continued the high work rate, although it seemed to be Carey that was getting the upper hand - countering well and cutting off Dignum - his shots seemed to fall short and weren't crisp enough to score. Cleaner shots in the third turned this bout in Dignum's favour, both boxers worked tenaciously to the bell but it was the Englishman who secured a 7-2 points win for a place in the final.
75kg Jack Steffe (England) v Liam Williams (Wales)
Both boxers started very well, looking for initial openings early on. The southpaw style of Steffe caused Williams problems early in the bout, when he struggled to get an upper hand. In a good, even second round, both boxers countered and cancelled each other out - making this a close encounter. The better rear hands and harder work-rate seemed give Williams the edge in the third, with a very close 4-2 win at the bell.
Second Session - Class 6
48kg Robert Curry (England) v A Ghani (Wales)
A good start by Curry, who was able to catch Ghani with some crisp rear hands. Both boxers worked well to control the centre of the ring. Forcing the pace, Curry had the early upper hand with the cleaner, sharper rear hands, but continuing to force a higher work-rate, Ghani worked hard to the final bell winning 5-2 with a determined performance.
54kg Amin Hussain (England) v Shaun McGoldrick (Wales)
McColdrick settled early into the bout, forcing the pace and working continually off the front foot. This forced Hussain to work extremely hard. Strong counter shots forced a standing count early in the second round. Reliant at times on his power, McColdrick made continual mistakes and was picked off with unnecessary straight leading hand counters. Hussain seem to have it all to do in the final round, and a persistently hard working McGoldrick secured a comfortable 7-0 point's win.
54kg Peter Cope (England) v J Ham (Scotland)
The southpaw Cope settled into the early stages of the bout with some crisp rear hand shots. Skilfully, looking to force the pace, Ham worked his own counter shots, taking the initial early lead. Strong rear hands from Cope followed by some great countering left/right combinations had this bout tightly balanced. A good final round from both boxers, Ham was the 9-6 winner.
57kg Zeezan Khan (England) v Josh Taylor (Scotland)
Both boxers worked at a fast rate from the outset, the crisp and more accurate shots of Khan's back hand working through Taylor's tight guard. Not content sitting back, Taylor continued to plug away at Khan with his own close inside counter shots. Drawing on his opponent, Taylor's longer reach allowed him to take the lead in the final stages of the bout, while Khan struggled to find range and scoring shots. 9-1 to Taylor.
57kg Josh Kennedy (England) v J Gordine (Wales)
A great opening round, full of energy as both boxers worked hard creating openings and countering with furious punching power. Clever footwork from Gordine seemed to give him the upper hand, but making unnecessary mistakes enabled Kennedy to counter with ease. Working toe-to toe throughout, both boxers threw good body and head shots, and it was tough to identify who had the upper hand. A great finale to the bout, Gordine secured a good 10-6 points win.
60kg Jeff Saunders (England) v L Benson (Scotland)
A strong opening round by Saunders, forcing the initiative and scoring successfully with good body shots. Benson sustained a high work rate, creating angles and forcing Saunders to think and work extremely hard. With both boxers tactically out-thinking each other towards the end of the bout, the winning score was 3-1 to Saunders.
64kg Mark Heffron (England) v Jason Easton (Scotland)
Starting fast, Heffron worked from the outset switching body to head and forcing Easton onto the back foot. Not content to roll-over, Easton's tight guard made it difficult for Heffron to score. A great body shot in the second had Easton on the floor, and those stinging body shots continued throughout, along with great body/head combinations. At the bell it was Heffron who took the winning 7-1 score.
69kg Anthony Fowler (England) v Jake Lovell (Wales)
A ferocious pace from the outset, Fowler took initiative and caught Lovell with some stinging straight hand combinations followed by strong rear hands. The third round brought a change where Lovell forced the higher work rate and successfully scored, frustrating Fowler. A huge effort from both boxers in the final round, but it was the sharper two-shot combinations of Fowler that secured a strong 10-6 points win.
69kg Luke Cunningham (England) v A Brown (Scotland)
Cunningham settled well into the bout, looking for initial openings and working head and body. Brown's crisp shots and tight guard made it difficult for Cunningham to score, but both boxers seemed to cancel each other out with clever tactics. While Cunningham tried to force the pace, counter shots from Brown ensured that the last round remained even, with the final score 3-2 in Cunningham's favour.
75kg Paulius Macivicullius (England) v S McAllister (Scotland)
A great start from Macivicullius, catching McAllister early with strong rear hands. Settling early enabled him to relax and let his shots off with great fluency. McAllister seemed to struggle with the initial pace, allowing the English boxer to dictate parts of the contest. McAllister continued to work extremely hard, forcing mistakes. Macivicullius picked up the better scoring shots at the later stages of the bout. Working tenaciously throughout and forcing a good standing count at the final bell enabled the English boxer to scrap a 6-6 (14-12) win.
75kg Callum Cotton (England) v Adam Alsop (Wales)
The tall rangy Cotton towered above Alsop, taking the initiative, working hard, forcing the initial errors and catching him with some good straight hand combinations. Cotton continued to look for openings, forcing the mistakes; in the later parts of the bout able to take a comfortable 3-0 and a place in the final.
91kg D Benson (England) v S McDonagh (Wales)
The taller Benson worked from the bell, trying to force an opening into the tight guard of the Welsh boxer. McDonagh seemed to look continually for the big shot, Benson kept McDonagh under control, switching attacks and moving fluently around the ring. Comfortably collecting the scoring shots, maintaining a comfortable lead to the final bell, the end result was something of a surprise being 0-0 and then (0-0) on count back. Benson was awarded the contest on points.
Day two - Class 5 Finals
48kg H Sweeney (England) v Iain Butcher (Scotland)
With his upright style, Sweeney patiently waited, opening up with some crisp lead hands. Butcher worked tenaciously, picking his shots and moving consistently, looking for openings. Good countering body shots from Butcher drew an early lead, where he seemed happy to draw in Sweeney and pick his shots. Switching his own attach to the body in the third, Sweeney was caught with some good rear hand shots. A strong performance from Sweeney but it was Butcher that won gold with a clear 7-1 points win.
51kg L Lone (England) v P Cawley (England)
Lone settled immediately, catching Cawley early, switching attacks freely he struggled at the early stages with the rear hands of Lone. Forced to change tactics, Cawley had it all to do in the early stages. With the ferocious pace both boxers started to open up with strong countering rear hand and hooks, catching each other freely. Clever footwork from Cawley kept him out of trouble but it was the persistent cleaner shots of Lone that got him the gold with a 7-1 points win. A great performance from Cawley, who deserved his silver.
54kg George Veness (England) v Zach Davies (England)
A great start by Veness, drawing in Davies and countering with strong rear hands. Veness waited patiently for Davies to make the mistake, countering those mistakes with fluent left/right returns, catching Davies well. This was not all one-way; Davies continued the high work rate, forcing openings and working Veness throughout. A strong, positive performance from both boxers but the gold went to Davies 9-5.
57kg Sahfig Asif (England) v Brett Bredon (England)
Bredon found success with his right hook counters. The better work rate in the earlier stages from Bredon allowed him a greater freedom in his shot selection. Forcing Asif to change his tactics he drew Bredon into some strong left hook counter shots. Both boxers worked superbly hard in the final round, working tenaciously to the final bell, but it was Bredon who took gold with a 3-3 (8-7) points win.
60kg S Bowen (England) v Conor McCallum (Scotland)
A fast pace was set by both boxers, who scored freely. The cleaner shots of Bowen drew the earlier lead, but a warning for pushing in the second turned this bout on its head. McCallum was content to work off the rear foot, while Bowen had to chase the bout. Another warning in the final round for not listening to the referee's instructions sealed the fate for Bowen and MCallum took gold with a 10-2 points win.
64kg Sam McNess (England) v Steve Lewis (England)
Lewis had the early upper hand with countering rear hands. Mcness worked hard, switching attacks from body to head. This was a real close encounter, with both boxers consistently cancelling each other out throughout. At the bell it was the superior cleaner shots of McNess that drew the 5-1 win and the gold medal.
69kg Anthony Carolan (England) v Danny Dignam (England)
Carolan took the initial lead, forcing Dignum on the back foot and catching him with crisp countering rear hands. Dignum settled better, looked comfortable in the early stages of the bout where he was able to work counter shots well. Drawing in Carolan, forcing the mistakes, he countered with either hand as Carolan struggled with Dignum's southpaw style. This was a strong performance from both boxers, but the cleaner shots of Dignum gave him gold-winning 5-2.
75kg Jake Ball (England) v Liam Williams (Wales)
Tall southpaw Ball settled early in the bout, and he was able to counter comfortably with rear hands. Moving freely throughout, Ball seemed happy to counter and change angles, working off the back foot as Williams chased the bout. Good boxing from Ball, but Williams took the gold with a close 5-4.
81kg M Watson (England) v E Duraku (England)
Both boxers worked hard throughout the early stages, countering each other out. A greater work rate from Watson kept this bout close, but the cleaner shots and better footwork from Duraku allowed him to build a comfortable lead. A warning in the final round for the use of his shoulder turned this bout around for Watson, as Duraku struggled with the pace. Another warning at the bell saw this bout completely turn around and Watson was awarded gold with an 8-3 win.
91kg A Hussain (England) v W Cassap (England)
A strong start to the bout from Cassap, as he forced the early initial pace and countered well while Hussain chased. Cassap pushed the higher work rate, continually working left/right combinations and catching Hussain well. Cassap took the gold with an 11-5 win.
Class 6 - Finals
48kg Robert Curry (England) v Jamie Robinson (England)
Both boxers started with a high work rate, working body and head well. Robinson's better switching attacks took the early upper hand as he settled well using his countering attacks to build the early lead by forcing the tempo. Curry struggled with the faster return counters of Robinson as he chased the bout, trying to break down Robinson's tight guard. This was a good 6-3 points win for Robinson. A good performance from both boxers and Curry should be proud of his silver medal.
51kg J Brain (Wales) v Haroon Khan (England)
Khan started well, forcing the initial pace and picking up cleaner rear counter shots. Brain's tight guard made it difficult to score, but Khan persisted, drawing in Brains, forcing errors and then countering with stinging rear hand shots to build a comfortable lead. Switching from body to head, Khan was able to let his shots flow where he cruised to a strong 9-4 points win for the gold medal.
60kg Jeff Saunders (England) v Jack Brayer (England)
Both boxers started with a high work rate, and it seemed that Brayer was able to settle the better and collect the initial early scoring shots. Crisp rear hand counters, some clever foot movement enabled him to tactically out-think Saunders. Sloppy hands caused Brayer to lose unnecessary scoring shots where he was unable to defend against the sharper counter returns of Saunders. This was a very close bout tactically, and it was close at the final bell, but the cleaner scoring shots from Saunders in the final round enabled him to win gold with a 5-2 score. This was an excellent tactical performance from Brayer and he should justifiably be proud of his silver medal success.
64kg Mark Heffron (England) v Caine Brunning (England)
A fast work rate from the outset, both boxers worked to break each other down. Looking to work inside, Brunning struggled. Changing tactics to work Heffron toe-to-toe seemed to reward Brunning, and he continued to work his crisp rear hands and right hooks to good effect. A warning for a low head in the final round seemed to throw the bout to Heffron, and this was a huge finale both boxers should be proud of. At the bell it was Heffron who took the 5-4 victory.
69kg Anthony Fowler (England) v Luke Cunningham (England)
A good start from Fowler, although the very tight guard of Cunningham made scoring difficult in the early stages, smothering Fowler and preventing him from being able to release his lightening left/right combinations. When he found the target, Fowler flowed and looked comfortable, yet persistence from Cunningham ensured that he stayed in this contest, catching Fowler with his own crisp rear hands. At the bell it was the greater fitness and cleaner shots of Fowler that took gold with a somewhat low scoring 3-1 points win. This was no small performance from Cunningham and he richly deserves his silver medal.
75kg Paulius Macivicullius (England) v Callum Cotton (England)
A strong start from Macivicullius, forcing an early pace and catching Cotton with strong rear hand shots. The long range shots from Cotton worked well, catching Macivicullius with good countering back hands as he rushed in. Tightening his guard, feeling his way into range and looking for the better openings enabled Macivicullius to collect points later in the bout to bring home a 6-3 points win.
81kg D Fusco (England) v Ryan Colquhoun (England)
A good tactical start, with both boxers feeling their way into range and countering each other well. The better footwork of Colquhoun enabled him to choose his shots better in the initial stages. Fusco forced the pace, and he was able to catch Colquhoun with strong rear hands. Colguhoun had the better work rate and greater opportunities in the final stages of the bout, but Fusco took the gold with a good 7-4 winning performance.
91kg Danny Benson (England) v M Neilson (England)
A good fast start from both boxers, it was Benson who found his range first, catching Neilson with some strong rear hands. Patiently moving into range and picking his shots well, Neilson countered and collected the points. At the end of the third Neilson appeared to have a cut under his head-guard, preventing him from competing further. A great performance for Neilson, who was ahead on points at this stage. That said, a strong performance from Benson, and one worthy of gold.
91+kg Frazer Clarke (England) v R Williams (Wales)
Both boys worked extremely hard in the early stages to find openings, Clarke's initial patience paid off, feeling his way in enabled him to pick off Williams with some strong rear shots while his countering continually caught Williams. A standing count in the third with a strong rear hand was quickly followed up with a stinging left/right combination and the referee swiftly stopped the contest with Clarke taking the gold.