Jennings sends his 700 fans home happy

BEAU SEJOUR was turned into a cauldron of passion and noise on Saturday evening as Guernsey overcame Manchester Select nine bouts to seven at the annual Greg Forino Open Show. As the biggest event on the local boxing calendar, it always attracts a sell-out crowd and this year more than 700 spectators crammed into the Sir John Loveridge Hall.

The atmosphere was electric from start to finish.

The home side got off to a flier as the first three bouts went their way.

In his first competitive fight, Alderney's 11-year-old Chris Sumner got the ball rolling as, after a tentative opening, he went on to take care of Macalauy McGowan by a unanimous decision in their 38kg contest.

'After the first round I felt more confident and I knew during the second round I had won,' he said.

The next bout was closer as blonde Adam Baker won by a majority decision over Wade Barrick and bantamweight Dave Chadney, from Alderney, took the third bout on the bounce with a similar verdict over Danny Hindmarch.

Manchester proceeded to level things as Andrew Wilson, Gary Cochrane and Pat Ward got the better of Alan Myers, Bradley Watson and Alderney's Joel Mitten respectively.

Cochrane looked particularly good and he had to be to overcome Watson, who is one of Guernsey's best juniors and the reigning Western Counties champion.

After a close first round, the organised Cochrane remained composed and well drilled as Watson attacked with flurries of punches, but he kept getting picked off by the Manchester lad's counter punches.

Guernsey took the lead again at 5-3 as 15-year-olds James Woolnough and Callum Pearson both notched up wins.

Pearson is really causing a stir as one to watch as the fearsome middleweight took the honours over Martin Deaz after he forced his Isle of Man middleweight into a standing count in the last round.

'I'm well pleased,' said Pearson afterwards.

'I was nervous, it's the first time I've fought here in front of family and friends and I wanted to do my best.'

Next up, in a heavyweight clash, Guernsey coach Graham Guilbert sensibly throw in the towel in the first round as Marcus Lewis took a lot of punishment from Dylan Williamson without putting up too much resistance.

Light heavyweight Wayne Calladine got one back for the home side in the next bout which preceded an absolute gem of a fight between Shane Le Patourel and Simon Meilor, from the Isle of Man.

Meilor came out all confident with his guard down and looked to be in control, but pride came before a fall as he was put down on the canvas midway through the first round by a stinging head shot from Le Patourel that came from nowhere.

Meilor got up before the 10 count and his reaction was to keep his guard and the bout stayed neck and neck for the next two rounds.

After a lengthy delay as the judges made up their minds, Le Patourel won by a majority decision.

It was an amazing win for the 17-year-old mechanic, who has had to deal with the death of his mother at the end of last month.

'It's been a tough couple of weeks,' he said.

'I dedicate that fight to her and I was really determined to win it for her. I know she was watching down on me.'

Next up was a real character from Manchester called Gareth 'The Hurricane' Owens, who came to the ring wearing a bright gown with his moniker on the back and carrying a Bible and a teddy bear.

After a bit of Chris Eubank-style theatrics before the bell, the boxing pride of Mosley Common, as he also likes to be known, proved he could box as well by stopping his local middleweight opponent, Micky Barsby, in the second round, much to the very vocal chagrin of the audience.

Simon Hainsworth got things back on track for the Sarnians with a unanimous win over Teo Dwyer that was followed by the bout of the evening as Matt Clark, who had large support in the hall, took on Stephen Pownall.

The stocky, well-built Clark looked as though he could do a job in the heavyweights rather than light middleweight class, came up against a quality opponent in Pownall, who was probably the best technical boxer of the night.

Time and time again, the southpaw Clark would drive forward with his right and try to connect with a big left straight, but Pownall would ride these out and pick off his opponent with an array of punches.

Going into the third, the fight was too close to call, but a bleeding nose on Clark that refused to stop was his downfall as the referee stopped the fight.

'What can you do?' asked Clark afterwards.

'Some refs can't stomach the blood. I'm happy to get best bout and I'd like him to return next year. He's a good lad.'

Following this epic, Adam Rose, fighting in the blue of Alderney, then came undone against Warren Tanfey and the crowd went wild for the last bout of the evening as Guernsey's favourite boxing son, Matt Jennings, came to the ring to take on Dwayne McCanon.

And take him on he did.

In the first minute, the Manchester boxer looked as though he was going to be a handful for Jennings as he connected with a couple of head shots.

Reportedly halfway through the opening round, when in a clinch, McCanon asked Jennings if 'that was all he's got?', to which Jennings replied 'no' and came out of the clinch and hit McCanon with a body shot, then a head shot, which sent him to the canvas.

After getting back up at the count of eight, McCanon was shortly back on the floor following a punishing right hook from Jennings, and while down, the bell for the end of the round was rung.

He made it back up again, but the damage was done as he took off his headgear while he sat on his stool.

Jennings had won and 700-odd of his fans went barmy.