Le Patourel finds life is tough on top

SHANE LE PATOUREL'S first top-of-the-bill experience did not go quite to plan in front of a big dinner boxing crowd at St Pierre Park Hotel on Friday. The light-middleweight was brought to his knees and stopped early in the second round by Old Trafford ABC southpaw R. Malcolm.

It was certainly the right decision to stop the local man who has fast emerged as one of the Amalgamated Boxing Club's most promising young talents in less than a handful of bouts. This was his first defeat.

Le Patourel gave more than he got during a busy opening round and was generally the aggressor. Malcolm was coolness personified.

Perhaps it was a case of eyeing up his opponent and biding his time or simply a physical response to the mindless taunts from one diner who had constantly suggested the Mancunian was not up to the job, but when he let loose, Le Patourel paid.

In a sudden flurry of punches in the second, Le Patourel was pinned in his own corner and, stunned, took a standing count.

On the resumption, Le Patourel sought instant revenge, but caught by another clever exchange, down he went on his knees and referee Ian Lindsay stopped the bout.

Coach Graham Guilbert said the result showed that this promising talent still has a lot to learn.

'Shane has got to tighten up his guard a bit.

'He let the bloke settle, instead of pushing him and making him go back. He's still learning.'

After a pre-interval run of bouts all decided by the judges cards, the second half featured three stoppages and one straight knockout.

The KO was provided by Guernsey middleweight Wayne Calladine who had already forced Jason Hughes into one standing count when he put him flat out on the canvas and with no chance of beating 10.

Moments earlier Old Trafford's Daniel Lyons had shown himself to be arguably the classiest boxer on show in taking fewer than two rounds to stop local hope Simon Hainsworth.

Junior light welterweight Matt Sawbridge was another local who failed to go three rounds, a gutsy performance ending with a stoppage by Matt Ryan.

There was better news, though, of James Woolnough, who battled three tough rounds with Martin Ryan and just edged him out.

It was good to see the mutual respect shown by Woolnough and Ryan.

The Guernsey lad won a unanimous decision but there cannot have been much in it.

Before the break, Graham Guilbert's team were buoyed by fine wins from juniors Gage Demoor, Adam Baker and the Alderney junior, Chris Sumner.

All three showed real potential, Baker in particular.

He outscored the pugnancious and busy Danny Craven on all three judges' cards, 14-7, 14-8, 14-8.

Guilbert liked what he saw.

'He was absolutely brilliant. He has improved a helluva lot and been working on his punching power and combinations.'

Young Tom Maunder's first competitive venture into the ring ended with a narrow points defeat, but the plucky and still novice light heavyweight Alan Myers was well outpointed by Dave Hodge.

Overall, the North-West Counties squad won six bouts to five.