Clark steals show as local boys finish strongly

A 750-STRONG baying crowd had come to Beau Sejour to praise top-of-the-bill Matt Jennings. They left hailing a new hero.

Twelve months ago Matthew Clark broke his hand in a bout.

On Saturday night, in his first fight since that day, Clark destroyed his Lancastrian opponent Chris Banford and knocked him to the canvas in the first round for the only knockout of the evening.

Clark, 22, looked pumped and frighteningly determined from the moment he walked to the ring. Banford looked taller and to have a reach advantage, but he hardly got to use it.

It was the fourth KO in four bouts for light-middleweight Clark, who took up the sport at the age of 12 but drifted away in his teens.

His punching power deservedly won him the belt for Guernsey's top fighter of the night, but took nothing away from Jennings and the home team's other seniors at the top of the card.

From 7-1 down to Lancashire at that point on the night, Alex Argo, Darren Bundy, Adam Rose and Jennings all recorded convincing points victories to narrow the gap and please Guilbert. He was also happy with the performances of some of his outpointed youngsters.

Guilbert also paid tribute to Clark. 'He's a devastating puncher,' he said, 'but he can take a shot as well.'

Jennings was always convincing against Mick Germon, taking an early lead in the exchanges and holding off his opponent when he came back in the third round.

'He was a pretty strong guy, but I felt I was quicker to the punch than him and pretty much controlled the fight,' he said.

Alderney-based Adam Rose secured a unanimous verdict over Simon Maddox and at welterweight both Bundy and Argo proved too strong for their opponents over the three rounds.

The undercard had been dominated by the visiting boxers.

Stuart Hamon took three standing counts in the first round against Adrian Kaiatkoleski and Simon Hainsworth's bout with Darren Rutter ended when he took a powerful punch with the last shot of the second round.

Guilbert was happy with the efforts of David Young and Danny Froome in points defeats. Froome particularly took some punishment from Chris Johnson but bravely battled through the three rounds.

Alderney's Dan Gaudion was way too big and strong for Rob Lathwood in something of a welterweight mismatch.

There was a shock in the lightest fight of the night, when crowd favourite Bradley Watson was stopped by Bury-based Luke Brown, who took the award for best Lancashire boxer on the night.

Brown dominated as the bout went on but it was stopped when young Watson was sick on the canvas.