BOXING: Berinsfield duo make it to nationals (From Oxford Mail)

BOXING: Berinsfield duo make it to nationals

9:20am Saturday 9th February 2013 in Sport

The Berinsfield duo of Gerard Ward and Michael McDonagh stormed to Home Counties titles and are nowchasing places in the National School boy Championship finals.

First to claim his Home Counties crown was Ward, who proved too strong for Bracknell ABC’s Frazer Hadaway in his class 1 (born 2000) under 48kg final at Cheshunt. Ward opened up the first round with crisp, clean boxing, scoring well to the head. At the end of the first round it was clear that Ward had all the answers to beat his awkward, southpaw opponent Going into the second round, the Berinsfield teenager stepped on the gas, landing seven unanswered shots and causing blood to flow from Hadaway’s nose. Ward continued his relentless onslaught to see his hand raised with a unanimous decision.

He now boxes in the national semi-finals at Portsmouth on Sunday, February 17.

McDonagh won his Home Counties title in the class 2 (born 1999) under 40kg category, beating Tommy Roberts (Pinewood Star ABC) in the final at Luton.

After both boxers put on great displays in the previous round, this contest had the potential to be thrilling – and it lived up to the hype.

McDonagh and Roberts went to war from the first bell, neither wanting to take a backward step.

But it was McDonagh’s cleaner head-shots and greater work inside that saw him crowned champion on points.

To reach this stage, McDonagh had earned a unanimous points verdict win over Cheshunt’s Francy O’Donnell by scoring well to the head and body.

McDonagh now boxes against James Freeman, from Southend ABC, in the national quarter-finals at Harlow tomorrow.

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