O’Hara edges thriller

BARRY O’HARA edged Jason Conroy in the fight of the night at the National Intermediate Championships finals last night.

Sat, 10 Dec, 2011 - 00:00

Bernard O’Neill

Some 23 titles were claimed, the final national tournament of the IABA’s Centenary year, at Dublin’s National Stadium.

Cairn Lodge light-flyweight Thomas Waite secured the first belt on offer at the home of Irish boxing, the Belfast teenager posting an impressive 12-5 decision over Jonathan McCabe.

Hughie Myres, of the Ryston club in Kildare, also emerged victorious. Myres, who found the target with crisp shots in the second frame, earned a 13-7 verdict over Jamie Higgins.

“I was told to up the tempo in the second and it worked out well, as I landed some good punches to the head and the body,” said Myres.

Meanwhile, Mayo bantamweight Michael Chambers shaded a 15-14 decision over Rosemary Doherty, while Michael Nevin ran out a 16-9 winner over Gary McKenna in the men’s 54kg class.

Michelle Lynch had five points to spare over Tipperary’s Shauna O’Keefe in the 57kg decider, the third meeting between the duo this year, Lynch, from the Golden Gloves club in Mayo, now having won two of those.

Dubliner George Bates took advantage of his height advantage see off the challenge of Chris Nevin, and Carla Wright forced Sabina Mason into a standing count en route to claiming the women’s lightweight belt.

Neither Jason Conroy or Barry O’Hara had to go looking for each other in the ring, both trading leather all the way down to the final bell of a pulsating three-rounder. The frame scoring told its own story; O’Hara, from the Immaculata BC in Belfast, winning the first 7-6, but Conroy, of the Crumlin club, edging 15-14 in front going into the third.

It appeared that Conroy’s less spectacular work on the inside would be enough to secure victory in the third. However, O’Hara finished with two big hooks.

No surprise then that it went to a countback following a 22-22 tie, and it was O’Hara’s hand that was raised in triumph (109-102) on accepted scores, scores which emphasised the volume of punches being thrown, from what was the contest of the night.

“It could have gone either way in the end. That’s the way with countbacks and thankfully it went my way. I knew this one was always going to be close — but this was really close,” said O’Hara. “I knew that I had to start throwing some more combinations in the third. I threw some big shots at the start of that round and I finally started getting through with them near the end.”

Moira McElligot, Nicole Hammil, David Roche and Paul Upton also emerged victorious last night. Upton denied the Riverstown club in Cork a second title with an 18-11 win over Mark Fitzpatrick.

48Kg: E Duffy (Crumlin) W/O

50Kg: C Enright (Kilmallock) W/O

48Kg: T Waite (Cairn Lodge) bt J McCabe (Holy Family) 12-5

52Kg: M Jannick (Cavan) W/O

51Kg; H Myres (Ryston) bt Jamie Higgins (St Davids) 13-7

54Kg: M Chambers (Castlebar) bt R Doherty (Cardnonagh) 15-14

54Kg: M Nevin (Portlaoise) bt G McKenna (Smithboro) 16-9

57Kg: M Lynch (Golden Gloves) bt S O’Keefe (Clonmel) 13-8

57Kg: G Bates (St Marys) bt C Nevin (Holy Family Drogheda) 17-12

60Kg: C Wright (Gleann) bt S Mason (Bray) 15-8

60Kg: B O’Hara (Immaculata) bt J Conroy (Crumlin) 22-22 c/b 109-102

63Kg: M McElligot (Rathkeale) bt C McNaul (Castlereagh) 20-13