Rowark into semis
MACCLESFIELD Boy’s Boxing Club have been back in action this week as Ben Rowark took on Sale West ABC boxer Bradley McCormack.
Both lads looked eager to get going as they sized each other and touched gloves. The bell rang as they came together and McCormack looked quite stocky and tight, throwing nice shots as Rowark pushed forward trying to find his range. He then proceeded to throw some nice single shots that were scoring.
In round two McCormack wasn’t going anywhere without a fight and threw plenty of shots at Rowark who was covering up well and throwing plenty of counters of his own that were getting through, although Rowark was reprimanded for slapping, much to the amusement of the coaches in the corner.
Round three was the final round and Rowark was now finding his range, throwing clean scoring shots and was overpowering his Sale opponent.
McCormack was game and never backed down, but the unanimous decision went in favour of MBBC boxer Ben Rowark as expected.
That win saw Rowark move into the Senior National development quarter-finals, as he took on Daniel Goodwin from Jimmy Egan’s Boxing Academy in Wythenshawe.
Goodwin came forward throwing some telling shots, but these were evaded by Rowark with good head movement and footwork.
Goodwin was a strong lad throwing shot after shot, but Rowark was not fazed at all and proceeded to give as good as he got, catching his opponent with cleaner accurate shots.
Both were game and weren’t letting anything go without retaliation, but Rowark seemed to look more comfortable under the constant barrage of shots.
Goodwin was slightly taller than Rowark and gave a good account of himself but Rowark was edging away.
Round threewas much the same as the other two rounds, with both kids still thumping away at each other right up to the final bell. The judges sided in favour of Macc lad Rowark, who picked up the win over Goodwin and moved into the semi-finals along with his team-mate Ross Patterson, who got a bye due to his opponent pulling out on the day.
MACCLESFIELD’S Town three match winning run came to an end on Saturday after they suffered a home defeat against Eastleigh.
Luke Coulson got the only goal of the match early into the second half to earn the visitors all three points at the Moss Rose.
It was a feisty start to the action, with Joe Partington booked for Eastleigh inside the opening minute after a foul on Jack Sampson.
Eastleigh threatened during the opening stages of the game, with James Constable and Jai Reason both going close.
Chris Holroyd almost made the breakthrough for the Silkmen when he tested opposition goalkeeper Ross Flitney from distance, before Danny Whitaker fired a half-volley over the crossbar.
The two teams went into half-time with the scores goalless, but it didn’t take Eastleigh long after the interval to take the lead.
Coulson found space in the box before shooting past Craig Ross and into the back of the net to make it 1-0 to the away side on 50 minutes.
It could have been a different story for Macc, as just moments before Coulson’s goal, Kingsley James shot narrowly wide for the hosts.
John Askey’s side tried to immediately hit back after conceding, and went close when Danny Rowe tried his luck from the edge of the box.
They still had to be alert at the other end though to stop Eastleigh doubling their lead, as Ross turned Partington’s dangerous cross onto the bar.
Eastleigh then threatened again through Con- defeat of the campaign.
Defender George Pilkington said: “I think there was very few chances in the game I think they had one in the first half and I can’t remember many in the second half.
“They were a threat from throw ins and set pieces as they’re big and strong but I think through the course of the game we probably deserved a point.
“They’re the sort of games that we need to dig a bit deeper in and get a clean-sheet and we would have come away with a point.”
Eastleigh are now up to sixth after extending their unbeaten run in the National League to seven games.
The Silkmen will hope to return to winning ways when they travel to Neth- ermoor Park to face bottom of the table Guiseley on Saturday.
MACCLESFIELD:
Ross, Byrne (Halls 74’), Pilkington, McCombe, Hancox (Fitzpatrick 66’), Lewis, James, Whitaker (Mackreth 66’), Rowe, Holroyd, Sampson. Subs not used: Branagan, Norburn