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Boxing: Scorpion's McCrudden has a sting in the tail
By David Kelly

02 November 2005

What he lacks in finesse, David McCrudden certainly makes up for with natural power.

McCrudden blasted into tonight's quarter-finals of the La Cuisine Ulster Intermediate championships with a second round stoppage of Dominic McGoldrick.

After last night's hard-hitting display, McCrudden, from Ballymoney club Scorpion, is now set for possibly the fight of the night this evening in the Dockers Club as he faces William Thompson of All Saints.

McCrudden was being out-jabbed in the early stages of this welterweight clash before he suddenly unleashed a right hand straight through the guard of McGoldrick which sent him crashing to the canvas.

Then right on the bell a sweeping left hook had McGoldrick down again and with less than 30 seconds gone in the second referee Sadie Duddy stepped in after McCrudden had sent the Enniskillen man to the canvas for a third time.

Thompson booked his date with McCrudden with a comprehensive 21-7 victory over Noel McCarron of Carigart.

Though it was not until the third round that Thompson took full control, when he finally used his natural height and reach advantage to full effect.

Thompson whipped home a stinging straight left and right to force McCarron to take a count and then jolted him again just before the bell.

Thompson controlled the fourth with some heavy hitting and in particular he had success with his overhand right.

Shane McKeown of Sacred Heart Newry was another impressive performer at welter as he stopped Abbey's Gerard Gilmore in the second round.

Gilmore was prepared to stand and trade with McKeown but came off second best near the end of the second as he was forced to take a count after a quick burst of accurate blows.

Gilmore came out charging from the bell in the second but five flashing, unanswered blows led to a further count and the referee wisely stopped the contest in McKeown's favour.

McKeown will now face David O'Brian of St Mary's Derry, who received a bye into this evening's quarters.

Also at welterweight, Paul McMullan edged out Padraig McCrory of St John's 16-13 and now meets Adrian McGee of Dunfanaghy.

McMullan, of Sacred Heart, Belfast seemed to lose the first but gradually the contest caught fire before a final round slugfest.

Bantamweight Mark Ginley of Oliver Plunkett can count himself unfortunate as he somehow found himself on the wrong end of a 27-14 decision.

Other results: 64kg: Michael McLaughlin (Holy Trinity) bt Kevin McIntyre (St Joseph's) 25-8.

69kg: Martin Lynch (Ilies) bt Billy Ball (Monkstown) rsc2; Kenny Rodgers (All Blacks) wo; Aidan McGee (Dunfanaghy) bt Kevin Shields (Oak Leaf) 10-9.

54kg: Ben McCullagh (Illies) bt Glen Smyth (Cairnlodge) 16-3.

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Boxing: Thompson rocks McCrudden

By David Kelly

03 November 2005

William Thompson came of age in the Dockers Club last night when he defeated Antrim champion David McCrudden 19-6.

Thompson nullified the power of McCrudden to book his place in tonight's welterweight semi-finals of the La Cuisine Ulster Intermediate championships.

Thompson's right hand repeatedly bounced off McCrudden's chin and the Scorpion boxer was simply not allowed to get into his stride from the opening bell.

All Saints man Thompson, who only started boxing 18 months ago, grew in confidence as the fight went on and one of many stinging right hands led to McCrudden taking a count in the third.

Patrick Murphy went through to the light-welterweight semi-finals with a fine display of punch perfect boxing, defeating Letterkenny's Rory McShane 26-6.

Outclassed McShane had to take counts in the first and third rounds as peppered the Letterkenny man from start to finish.

Michael Kelly made the light-fly final when Gary Sweeney of Illies was retired at the start of the third.

Kelly will face Stephen Donnelly of All Saints in the final next Thursday night.

Other results: 64kg: Sean Devanney (St Joseph's) bt Glenn Calderwood (Cairn Lodge) rsc1.

69kg: Paul McMullan (SH Belfast) bt Adrian Magee (Dunfanaghy) 27-14.

75kg: Gary O'Kane (St Canices) bt Karl Dillon (Dockers) 13-12; Gary O'Brien (Abbey) bt Paul Ferguson (Ring) 24-22; Darren McKenna (Eastside) bt Michael Duffy (Carigart) rsc3.

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Boxing: Angus in final

By David Kelly

04 November 2005

Andrew Angus pulled off a shock last night when he overcame Patrick Magee to make the lightweight final of the La Cuisine Ulster Intermediate championships.

Co Antrim champion Magee seemed to be in control in the first two rounds in the Dockers Club but the tide clearly turned in the third.

Eastside ABC man Angus finally found the range and while Magee responded he was not punching with the same authority.

Angus's coach Alan Wilton implored him to "go for it" and he duly did, driving forward and unloading relentless leather as Magee seemed to tire a little in the final two minutes.

Angus deserved the decision though the scoring of 25-11 did not do justice to Magee, nephew of WBU welterweight champion Eamonn Magee.

Angus, originally from Bournemouth, said: "I lost in the semi-finals last year but now I believe I can go all the way.

"I guess going into the fight I was the underdog and I didn't get off to the best of starts but then I'm always a slow starter.

"Once I got going I could see that he was starting to slow down a bit and I knew that I had him.

The 21-year-old will now meet Mark Morris of Gleann in the lightweight final next Thursday night.

Morris was simply too strong for Carrigart's John Caldwell, stopping him in the second round.

Angus's clubmate Darren McKenna made the middleweight final when he stopped Gary O'Brien of Abbey in the third.

In the fight of the night Shane McKeown of Sacred Heart Newry edged out Martin Lynch of Illies in their welterweight clash, 26-22.

A standing ovation greeted the final bell with both smeared in blood after an epic struggle, which Lynch seemed to just edge in the second half of this semi-final.

McKeown took the first round as they set the pattern with furious assaults at close quarters.

Lynch sustained a cut under his left eye, while blood was flowing from the nose of McKeown, who edged the second as well.

In the last two rounds it was punch for punch but McKeown got the nod to make it a night of double joy for the Newry club.

Newry's Patrick Murphy had earlier given another masterclass of boxing, picking his punches to perfection as he outscored Quintin Crawford of Illies 30-7.

Murphy forced Crawford to take a count in the final round, while the Newry man picked up a public warning on his way to a final showdown with Holy Trinity's Michael McLaughlin.

McLaughlin delivered the punch of the night when he stopped Sean Devanney of St Joseph's, Derry in the first round.

William Thompson of All Saints prevailed in another tough, energy-sapping duel with Paul McMullan of Sacred Heart, Belfast.

Thompson can now expect another such duel when he takes on Newry man McKeown in the welter decider.

While McMullan threw plenty of leather, the Ballyclare man seemed to score the cleaner, eye-catching shots, taking a 14-9 decision.

Clonard's Conor Tohill booked a final date with Ciaran Crossan of Immaculata when he stopped Ed Wallace of Dungloe in the third.

Other results: 54kg: Michael Connor (Holy Trinity) bt Paul Barbour (Shamrock) 21-6.

57kg: Steven McKeown (Eastside) bt Colin Jackson (Monkstown) rsco3; Neil Doherty (St Bridget's) bt Ben McCullagh (Ilies) 8-6.

75kg: Gary O'kane (St Canices) bt Gary McCafferty (Twintowns) rsc3.

81kg: Ciaran Crossan (Immaculata) walkover.

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Boxing: Crossan dreams of 2012 Olympics

By David Kelly

11 November 2005

Remember the name: Ciaran Crossan.

The 17-year-old Immaculata boxer landed the light-heavyweight title at the La Cuisine Ulster Intermediate championships last night with a performance of power, skill and evidently the potential to go a long way.

No wonder after winning on the 20-point outscored rule after three rounds with Clonard's Conor Tohill the Ardoyne lad admitted he was dreaming of representing Ireland at the 2012 London Olympics.

"I was at the World Cadets recently and I learned a lot there and it's the kind of experience that will stand to me, hopefully all the way to the London Olympics. That's what I want," said Crossan, who will clearly develop into a heavyweight.

"I was really pleased with my performance tonight. Once I got going in the second round I was hitting him with everything. It feels great.

"Now I want to go and win the Irish intermediates. I won't be going for the seniors this year but I'll be there next year."

After an untidy first round with little between the two, Crossan that moved up a gear and while his former clubmate fired back it was clear that the Immaculata boxer was in charge - Tohill receiving a public warning for holding.

A welt developed under Tohill's right eye and then one of many rasping combinations brought about a cut and a count near the end of the third, which proved decisive.

Light-flyweight Stephen Donnelly and light-welter Michael McLaughlin were the surprise winners on a fine finals night to cap a superb championships.

Donnelly, of All Saints, had lost to Immaculata's Michael Kelly in the Antrim championships last month but reversed the decision this time and in some style.

Donnelly may not possess power but he boxed beautifully and after losing the opening round the Ballymena lad took control.

Growing in confidence with every combination, Donnelly circled and then pounced with sharp, accurate blows to which Kelly had no answer, eventually taking a 25-12 decision.

McLaughlin of Holy Trinity was tactically perfect as he outfoxed rising star Patrick Murphy.

Murphy, of Sacred Heart Newry, seemed to struggle with the southpaw stance of McLaughlin though the 16-4 decision was harsh on the Newry lad.

McLaughlin will go to the Ulster seniors full of confidence after this victory, which saw him score well to the body.

In arguably the fight of the night Shane McKeown of Sacred Heart Newry defeated William Thompson 29-13 in the welterweight decider.

Flu-hit Thompson and McKeown exchanged solid, quality blows for four rounds though the All Saints man seemed to tire in the final round.

The lightweight final rivalled McKeown-Thompson for relentless action and in the end Mark Morris outpointed Andrew Angus of Eastside 22-15.

Morris, from Gleann, and Angus fought each other to a standstill, giving and taking some heavy leather.

Gary O'Kane of St Canices, roared on by brother Eamonn, took the middleweight title with a 25-14 verdict over Eastside's Darren McKenna.

Neil Doherty of St Bridgets, Donegal was simply robbed at featherweight, losing 16-8 to Eastside's Steven McKeown.

Oliver Plunkett's Eamonn Finnegan took the bantam title, defeating Michael Connor of Holy Family 22-10.

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