Holy Trinity’s Jon McConnell put in an impressive performance at the National Stadium in Dublin on Wednesday to advance to the Irish Elite light-middleweight Final.
McConnell proved too quick and slick for Mullaghbawn native Eugene McKeever who was representing Holy Family, Drogheda, as he boxed superbly to claim a unanimous win
The first round was a slow burner as both sought to establish their range with McKeever enjoying some early success, but McConnell began to time his right as he found the target to take the opener as he used the reach advantage to good effect.
Sharp with his counters, McConnell also began to apply a little more pressure in the second as McKeever just couldn’t close the range and was being countered when trying to step inside.
McKeever needed something big to turn it around in the final frame, upping the tempo a little, but McConnell always had the answers and will now face Wayne Kelly in Friday’s Final.
His Holy Trinity clubmate Joseph McArdle claimed a 3-2 win in the first of the 67kg Quarter-Finals against Luke Hall from Olympic, Mullingar.
After a cagey start, McArdle’s speed off the back foot saw him pick off Hall with the jab and threw a couple of counters in for good measure.
Luke Hall of Olympic BC Mullingar (left) in action against Joseph McArdle of Holy Trinity Belfast
His distance control and reflexes were also leaving the Mullingar man swinging at thin air at times, but although Hall did have his moments, the much better work came from McArdle who wasted little.
It was up to Hall to press in the final round and he did narrow the gap, but McArdle had done enough and moved into a Semi-Final on Thursday against Galway southpaw Darren O’Connor who got the better of Conor McCrory from the Townland club in Glenavy on a unanimous decision.
Newry’s Ryan Collins-Murphy is through to the 86kg Final as he put in a controlled display against Jason Clancy to win 4-1 and will meet Brian Kennedy from St Brigid’s, Edenderry in the decider.
Another of the Holy Trinity team, Clepson Dos Santos takes on Drogheda’s Adam McKenna at flyweight on Thursday, with Blaine Dobbins from St Joseph’s in Derry up against another from the Holy Family club in Ricky Nesbitt.
Thursday’s Semi-Finals for women will see a bit of history made as they will box without headguards for the first time in the Irish Elites.
Immaculata’s Caitlin Fryers will be first up with a 50kg Semi-Final against Niamh Early, the winner taking on either Shannon Sweeney or Daina Moorehouse in Friday’s Final.
Antrim’s Nicole Clyde faces Shauna Claney at 52kg, Holy Trinity’s Kaci Rock is up against Linda Desmond at 63kg, while Holy Family’s two-time Olympian Michaela Walsh opens her bid for an unprecedented 12th Irish Elite title with a Semi-Final against Niamh Fay at featherweight.