|You are in: Boxing|
Tuesday, 30 July, 2002, 18:10 GMT 19:10 UK
English trio claim medals
Bantamweight Mark Moran's hammering of Northern Ireland's Martin Lindsay started a successful evening for English boxers at the Commonwealth Games.
Moran, lightweight Andy Morris and light-welterweight Darren Barker are all guaranteed to win at least bronze medals after coming through their quarter-finals in Tuesday's evening session.
Martin Lindsay had been tipped to win the gold medal in the bantamweight division but the Irishman was completely off form.
The contest was stopped at the end of the second round under the 15-point rule, with Moran 19-3 ahead.
Lindsay's defeat completed a dismal Commonwealth Games for Northern Ireland's boxing team who will head home without a medal.
Moran, countering superbly, picked off Lindsay at will in the first round to take a 10-1 lead.
The pattern continued in the second round, with Liverpool lad Moran delighting the large home support.
"I knew he had a good reputation so I was certainly expecting the fight to go the distance," said Moran.
"His timing seemed to be off but I boxed really well and I'm absolutely delighted with my performance."
The Liverpool man's team-mate Andy Morris stopped Nigerian Saheed Salawu in the lightweight quarter-finals.
Like Moran, local Wythenshawe boy Morris claimed victory under the 15-point rule in the second round - although the margin at that point seemed highly questionable.
There was a similar outcome in the next lightweight quarter-final with Jamie Arthur securing Wales' second boxing medal of the day after beating Malaysian Adnan Jusoh.
Once again, many at Wythenshawe Forum seemed incredulous at the decision with the Malaysian not appearing in any trouble.
Arthur's Welsh team-mate Vivan Bryan was unable to repeat the medal-winning performance.
Zambian light-welterweight Davies Mwale had forced Bryan into standing counts in the first and third rounds before finishing the contest with a clubbing right hand in the final session.
In the penultimate bout of the evening session, Darren Barker became the fourth English boxer to guarantee himself a medal.
After two tight opening rounds, Barker pulled clear in the closing sessions to earn a 24-8 win over Ghanian light-welterweight Lartei Lartey.
Kevin Anderson had the chance to earn an all-British semi-final against Barker but the Scot was beaten 40-23 by Nigeria's Davidson Emenogu.
Yet again, the victory margin seemed highly debatable.
Other top Boxing stories:
Links to more Boxing stories are at the foot of the page.
|E-mail this story to a friend|
Links to more Boxing stories