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Boxing: Lindberg's out to make early impact

By David Kelly

03 October 2005

The long road to possible Commonwealth Games qualification starts tonight in the Dockers Club with the Co Antrim Intermediate championships.

These will be followed by the Ulster intermediate championships and then the Ulster seniors at the end of November.

One young fighter aiming to make an early impact in tonight's semi-final will be Immaculata's Ryan Lindberg.

Immaculata prospect Lindberg should be too strong for Kent Swann of Cairn Lodge at flyweight.

Contests (8pm):

69Kgs: William Thompson (All Saints) V Terry Garland (Poleglass)

69Kgs: Dennis Lancaster (Sacred Heart Newry) V Colm McCorry (Immaculata)

69Kgs: Paul McMullan (Sacred Heart Belfast) V Padraig McCrory (St Johns)

69Kgs: David McCrudden (Scorpion) V Martin O'Connor (Keady)

75Kgs: James Faloon (Clonard) V Darren McKenna (Eastside)

Semi-final 51Kgs: Ryan Lindberg (Immaculata) V Kent Swann (Cairn Lodge)

Semi-final 54Kgs: Eddie Nesbitt (St Georges) V Mark Ginley (Oliver Plunkett)

Semi-final 57Kgs: Brendan Mulgrew (Sacred Heart Newry) V Colin Jackson (Monkstown)

Semi-final 60Kgs: Mark Morris (Gleann) V Patrick Magee (Ligoneil)

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Belfast Telegraph Home > Sport > General Courtesy of Belfast Telegraph

Boxing: Class act murphy cruises into final

By David Kelly

05 October 2005

A stunning stoppage, an awful decision and a class act - the Coca-Cola Co Antrim Intermediate championships had it all last night.

Patrick Murphy looked a league above everyone else in the Dockers Club as he forced Chris Nicholl of All Saints to be retired at the end of the first round of their light-welter semi-final.

Murphy, a Commonwealth Youth Games silver medallist last year, was too fast and too smart for Nicholl, who was given a standing count in the one-sided opening round.

The 18-year-old from Sacred Heart Newry will now face Scorpion's Danny Rainey in tomorrow night's final.

Rainey comfortably won an entertaining contest, 19-5, with Ciaran Smyth of St Georges, who gave it everything but was always second best in the close quarter exchanges.

The inexplicable decision came in the quarter-final clash between Kenny Rodgers of All Blacks and Padraig McCrory of St Johns, who was robbed of victory.

McCrory seemed to have taken the first round quite comfortably with his sharp right hand doing most of the damage.

While Rodgers offered a little more in the second, McCrory still had the edge, though the All Blacks man took the third.

In the final round Rodgers was given a count but somehow he was handed a 17-15 verdict, taking him through to a semi-final meeting with Colm McCorry.

The stoppage of the night came from welterweight David McCrudden of Scorpion, who scored his second consecutive first round win of the championships when he stopped Terry Garland of Poleglass.

Other semi-final results:

60kg: James McDonagh (Dockers) bt Michael Harvey (Eastside) disq 4; 75kg: Gavin Burns (All Blacks) bt Gary O'Brien (Abbey) 19-12; Darren McKenna (Eastside) bt Yasin Nas (Albert Foundry) rsc2.

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Finals Night Report - Damian McCann, Antrim Secretary

The Coca Cola sponsored Antrim Intermediate Boxing Championship Finals 2005 at the Dockers Social Club last Thursday evening proved to be a knockout night for local amateur boxing fans in a 12-bout spectacle, writes Damian McCann.

The championship finals encompassed 11 weight categories from light-flyweight 48Kg to super-heavyweight 91+Kg and the traditional Coca Cola Trophy contest between welterweights Darren Traynor, St Agnes’ and Shane McKeown, Sacred Heart Newry.

The lightweight 60Kg final was an all North Belfast action packed encounter in front of a capacity crowd between two bright young boxers of the future Patrick Magee, Ligoniel ABC and James McDonagh, Dockers ABC.

McDonagh got off to a good start in the opening round calmly firing straight accurate shots to the head of his Ligoniel opponent in a business like fashion.

Magee pushed forward in the second in an effort to gain control of the bout with fearsome combinations handsomely registering with the judges at ringside.

The excited and enthralled audience cheered as both boxers came out for the third trading leather from the bell, the Dockers boxer getting through Magee’s defence with useful uppercuts.

As the round progressed Magee became stronger and pounded McDonagh with left and right hooks.

In the fourth, with both boxers clearly tiring, they dug deep into their reserves with the goal of the coveted championship title, but Magee came out top as the bell ended the round.

Both boxers were rapturously applauded for their performances before Patrick Magee was declared a worthy winner by a computer score of 19:11.

Michael Connor, Holy Family Golden Gloves was in action against Eddie Nesbitt, St George’s ABC in the 54Kg final.

Connor gently eased himself into the bout by cautiously measuring up his opponent with his long jab.

Both boxers conserved their energy and countered from tight defences in a closely contested bout.

Connor edged ahead with a clever boxing style and cleaner punches to be awarded the championship title by a score of 11:7.

Gerard Devlin, Ligoniel ABC stepped into the ring to challenge Craig McAlonan, Red Triangle for the 81Kg light-heavyweight title.

Devlin did not waste much time in stamping his authority on the contest with powerful blows targeting his opponent’s body and head.

Such was the power and velocity of the Ligoniel boxer’s punches the referee was forced to stop the contest in the second round. This was a good night’s work by the Ligoniel club successfully claiming two titles out of two finals.

The battle of the 91Kg heavyweights Kg title was a final between John Paul Reah, Dockers ABC and Darren McNally Camlough ABC, was a see-saw battle with each boxer trying to create and plant a decisive blow to end the bout.

In a low-scoring final, it was the man from Camlough, Darren McNally who lifted the title by a narrow margin of 8:7.

Both boxers could well meet again in the Ulster Intermediate Championships later this month.

The Coca Cola Trophy contest was something of a thriller with Darren Traynor, St Agnes, ahead in the first and second round using an effective and skillful boxing style against Shane McKeown, Sacred Heart, Newry.

As both boxers climbed from their stools at the beginning of the third, McKeown put his foot on the accelerator pedal, coasting the final two rounds by a score of 19:11 to win the prestigious trophy.

Patrick Murphy, Sacred Heart Newry was awarded best boxer of the Championships and received the Akkie Kelly Memorial Cup in recognition of his consistent boxing ability.

His skill was clearly on display as he lifted the 64Kg title against Danny Rainey, Scorpion by a score of 21:2.

The County Antrim Board would like to take this opportunity to thank Coca Cola for their continued sponsorship, the committee of the Dockers for the use of their premises to host the Championships and Harry McGovock for his professionalism and entertainment as master of ceremonies.

A special thanks to all Antrim and Ulster officials who helped to make the event a success.

48Kg    Michael Kelly (Immaculata) beat Stephen Donnelly (All Saints) 15:8

51Kg Ryan Lindberg (Clonard) beat Kent Swann (Cairn Lodge) Retired 2

54Kg Michael Connor (Holy Family GG) beat Eddie Nesbitt (St George’s) 11:7

57Kg Stephen Valliday (Clonard) lost to Brendan Mulgrew (Sacred Heart Newry) Disqualified 4

60Kg Patrick Magee (Ligoneil) beat James McDonagh (Dockers) 19:11

64Kg Patrick Murphy (Sacred Heart Newry) beat Danny Rainey (Scropion) 21:2

69Kg Colm McCorry (Immaculata) lost to David McCrudden (Scropion) 16:21

75Kg Gavin Burns (All Blacks) lost to Darren McKenna (Eastside) RSC2

81Kg Gerard Devlin (Ligoneil) beat Craig McAlonan (Red Triangle) RSC2

91Kg John Paul Reah (Dockers) lost to Darren McNally (Camlough) 7:8

91+Kg Brendan McNally (Camlough) lost to Calum King (Newcastle) RSCI 

Coca Cola Trophy: 69Kg Darren Traynor (St Agnes’) lost to Shane McKeown (Sacred Heart Newry) 11:19.