Boxing joy for Wicklow
All-Ireland and Leinster crowns secured
IT was a truly egg-cellent Easter for Wicklow boxers with two All-Ireland crowns and a Leinster title coming back to the Garden County.
Two Arklow boxers stole the show at the finals of the Irish Youth Championships in the National Stadium last weekend when Matthew Tyndall and Sean Crowley secure All-Ireland victories.
Matthew Tyndall came through his quarter-final against Michael Stokes of St Mary’s of Derry. The Arklow boxer was in control throughout, scoring with hard hooks to the head to win clearly. In his semi-final, Matthew was in with Frances Maughan of St Mary’s Dublin. After a close first round Matthew got on target with solid hooks to the head to gain control and finished the third with good combinations.
In the final, Matthew came up against another champion in Patrick Joyce of Baldoyle. This was war as both boxers went at it from the start, but it was the Arklow dynamo that scored better with the cleaner shots to head and body and at the final whistle it was Matthew Tyndall who was the clear winner by 5-0 and he was crowned the 63kg champion of Ireland.
Sean Crowley had a daunting passage to the final as his nemesis Gavin Rafferty was again in his division. In his quarter-final bout, Sean met Emmett McClorey of St Bronaghs. This was a one sided affair as Sean picked off Emmet with solid straight shots to win clearly. In the semi-final Sean was once again in with Gavin Rafferty and this was one of main contests on the night with Sean’s faster hands and slicker footwork working a dream as he outboxed the reigning champion and won on a 5-0 score line.
In the final, Sean was in with Adam Matthews from Monkstown. The Dubliner tried to get Sean into a close-quarters battle but the Arklow boxer was having none of it and continiously scored at long range to take a commanding lead and in the last round scored with solid shots and hurt the tiring Monkstown boxer. Sean won on a 5-0 decision and was crowned Irish champion at 75kg.
Another star began to shine for Arklow Boxing Club last weekend at the Girls Leinster Championships in Kildare.
Niamh Malloy was in action against Elissa O’Brien from Enniscorthy in her quarter-final and it was Niamh’s cleaner punching which earned her the decision onm a tally of 5-0. In the semi-final, Niamh came up against a much taller Rachael O’Connor from Drogheda. Niamh needed all her skills to outbox the tall Drogheda girl and she did so with style to win 5-0. Niamh will box her final next weekend and try to join clubmates and curent Leinster champions Tegan Farrell and Amber Byrne in the Irish finals.
Ballymore Hollwood Boxing Club’s Sean Gilroy got the better of Arklow’s Sean Fleming to secure a Leinster title last Sunday to complete a memorable weekend.