Jennings produces goods when needed the most

MATT JENNINGS came up with the big last round required to edge a split decision at St Pierre Park Hotel at the weekend. The victory guaranteed a 5-3 win for the Amalgamated Boys' Club squad over a hard and talented Yorkshire Select group who were none too happy with some of the scorecards.

The top-of-the-bill win for Jennings over Karl Thompson of South Durham was a case in point.

It was not a problem that two judges viewed the popular Guernseyman had won and the third Thompson, but there were some big points differentials.

While one had the Englishman 12-11 in front, the other two saw it as 14-7 to Jennings and the other, 22-16.

Whatever, Jennings and his camp knew they had been in a tough fight.

'He was up against a very good boy,' said a relieved Graham Guilbert, the ABC head coach.

'He was a pressure fighter... always there. Matt didn't get going until midway through the second round, but he won the last round easily. He needed to, or else he would have lost.'

The light-heavyweight clash was one of a series of belters on a depleted card that still offered value for money.

Thompson, boxing very square on, clearly won the first round and at one stage rocked Jennings back onto the ropes.

The local man was busier in the second, which he had to be, and a standing count in the third, perhaps harsh on the visitor, was significant as to who was stronger in the final two minutes.

There was no more exciting bout than the welterweight contest featuring young Sarnian hope James Woolnough and another Durham fighter, Matthew Toothill.

Again, the scorecards were all over the place but they were all in favour of the very talented Toothill and deservedly so.

Woolnough could not have given more, digging so deep to stay with the bruiser from up north.

But Toothill hit hard and Woolnough can surely not have fought many, if anyone, better.

The English lad cleverly switched from orthodox to southpaw and forced Woolnough into a standing count in the third which, ironically, was the ABC lad's most convincing.

But by the end the judges saw it 26-10, 18-15 and 24-16 in Toothill's favour.

Alderney's Adam Rose won again and had an extra incentive to pull out the stops with his grandfather Albert in the audience.

With dad Paul, himself a superbly talented and brave slugger in his time, in Adam's corner, the Ridunian branch of the Roses were out in force and there was no question he had done enough to win a unanimous verdict over Paul Warnett.

It was far from easy, though, for Rose, who emerged with the cards reading 9-7, 17-12, 9-7 in his favour.

As his father so often was, Rose has been in some major battles in his young career but this one was a surprisingly quiet affair which suited his dad.

'There will be no more wars,' said the cornerman, who is keen to see his son protect his susceptible nose.

'I was more than happy with that,' said Rose Snr.

Using the same schooling analogy, big Dan Marriott was on his first day in primary and his heavyweight bout with another novice, St Paul's Liam Thompson, was an eye-opener.

But the basketballer-cum-boxer came through to win a split decision and make his new coach happy.

'For a first fight I was more than pleased,' said Guilbert. 'Now he knows how hard it is and how fit you've got to be.'

Marriott made a slow start and was not punching his weight until the third round, by which time he needed a convincing final two minutes.

He had them.

The taller Marriott was finally making regular contact with a strong jab and twice had his opponent taking standing counts of eight.

'In the second round I said to him, ?you've got to jab and you've got to be first?,' said his coach.

'I told him not to hold, don't clinch, but just jab, jab, jab and you will stop him. He nearly did.'

That versatile sportsman, Tom Duff, was one of three defeated locals and found himself being stopped in the second by a hugely-impressive Luke Allon.

Referee Eamon Gillease might have been overly zealous in stepping in when he did, but there can be little doubt his intervention stopped Duff from enduring some heavy punishment against a middleweight of real talent.

In the early bouts, home bantamweight Adam Baker had shown promise in earning a majority decision over James Archer, while schoolboys Tom Maunder had gained a unanimous verdict over Terry Pearson and Daniel Davis lost on all three cards to Tyke Chris Simpson.