Nolan braced for battle with old team-mate

ADAM NOLAN believes that his ex-Italia Thunder team-mate Dario Morello will be a step up at the European Games in Baku.

London 2012 Olympian Nolan meets Morello on Saturday after comfortably beating Albanian welterweight Alban Beqiri in Baku yesterday.

All three judges marked the last-32 clash 30-27 for the Irish southpaw against Beqiri, who spent most of the three rounds on the receiving end of Nolan’s raking jab.

“I’m happy with my performance and the win,” said Nolan, a Wexford-born Garda and team-mate of Katie Taylor at Bray BC.

“I dominated, kept him on the end of my jab. It’s great to get the first one out of the way. I felt relaxed in there, mixed it up a bit in the third round.

“I’ll have to be up for Saturday as he (Morello) is strong.”

Nolan and Morello fought for Thunder in the World Series of Boxing last season.

Morello lost on a split decision to Ireland’s Stephen Donnelly in the WSB in Italy in April. Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan earned Olympic quota places boxing for Thunder in the regular WSB season, which concluded in April.

Meanwhile, Portlaoise BC middleweight Michael O’Reilly ( left) outclassed Pol Sanjin Vrgoc to improve Ireland to four wins from five after two days of boxing in Baku.

The European Union Elite finalist ran out a comfortable 3037, 30-25, 30-27 winner.

Belfast lightweight Sean McComb is the only Irish boxer in action today.