BOXING: Flanagan battles back (From Oxford Mail)

BOXING: Flanagan battles back

10:30am Saturday 11th February 2012 in Headlines

Berinsfield’s Ciaran Flanagan came from behind with a determined effort in the final session to emerge as Home Counties schoolboy champion in the Class 3 (born 1997) 44kg category at Luton.

In an intense battle with Stevenage’s Danny Hashmi, the Oxfordshire teenager had more in the tank at the end and was a worthy winner.

Unlucky not to join him was Michael McDonagh – from the same outfit – after a thrilling three-round toe-to-toe encou-nter with Bletchley’s Owen Gidman.

The narrowest of margins separated the pair at the end with a single punch landed by his rival just before the bell denying the Berinsfield boxer a Home Counties title.

Flanagan is among a quartet of local contenders in action at the Exeter Hall in Kidlington tomorrow when the Home Counties champions take on their counterparts from London in the national quarter-finals.

He is joined by southpaw Ronan Wadley – from the same Berinsfield gym – who will be competing in the Class 2 (14 years and under) 42kg division.

Windrush Valley have two boxers involved in the Class 3 (15 years and under) category: Tommy Lee Connors (52kg) and Jake James l’Anson (70kg).

The first of the 30 scheduled bouts starts at 12.30pm and admission is £10.