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	Merseyside & Cheshire ABA Royal Navy Schools Championships Finals 2010
	Written by Chris Walker: Ringside Photographs by Stephen Speed

Alsop Leisure Centre was the venue as an excellent crowd witnessed the Merseyside/Cheshire Schoolboy Championships reach their climax. 

Show-opener, on this 23 bout card, was the 36kg battle featuring Vauxhall Motors’ Kyle Timson against Elliot Search who was wearing Salisbury Black.  Search was dominant for large periods of this contest as Timson failed to find a way to cope with the Salisbury Starlet’s overwhelming pressure.
A huge second round for Search went a long way in determining the outcome of this contest as the Vauxhall youngster was warned by the referee and was later given a standing count.  The setbacks suffered by Timson in the middle session failed to motivate him as the final round was another one enjoyed by Search.  The scoreline of 8-2 in Search’s favour was a fair reflection of the contest.

Elliot Search (Right)

The eagerly awaited 48kg contest pitting Rotunda’s Chris Breen against Kirkby’s in-form Anthony Becket exceeded all expectations as both young boxers put on an excellent display in a contest which deserved no loser. Hard-hitting Becket, who was having his third outing of the week, showed no signs of fatigue as he dominated the opening session with some superb straight shots. The greater variety in Becket’s work was evident from the outset as he attacked Breen’s target from a number of angles.
Breen began the second round with more purpose and the exchanges that were dominated by the Kirkby man earlier in the bout were now being bossed by Breen. The Rotunda prospect used his jab to great effect as he clawed back the initiative in a contest that looked like slipping away from him.
With each fighter sharing a round, the third and final session was evenly poised and both boy’s delivered a fitting finale.  Exchanges were aplenty in this session and with each boxer roared on by their respective supporters, neither took a backward step in their pursuit to be crowned Merseyside/Cheshire Schoolboy Champion. With the scoring judges fittingly delivering a 6-6 verdict, Rotunda’s Breen was eventually handed a 15-14 victory via count-back.  The narrow margin in the scoring emphasises just how close this contest was.

Breen (Left) Lines up a right hook

 
Everton Red Triangle’s Andy Cain is a prospect well worth keeping an eye on.  The tiny livewire remained busy enough to take a close, but deserved, 7-5 victory over Birkenhead’s Ray Hampson.
Cain was on the front-foot at all times but his high guard and ability to slip shots were decisive in gaining victory.  Cain’s left hook was also a useful weapon as he found the target on several occasions.  Those at Cain’s club will have high hopes for their emerging talent.

Andy Cain lands a straight right

Full Results from show

Minor Class 1998
36kg   Elliot Search (Salisbury) W Kyle Timson (Vauxhall Motors)
40kg   Thomas Speed (Chester) W Joseph Breland (Tuebrook)
42kg   Grady James (Phoenix) W Matthew Madison (Huyton)
48kg   Kane Burnett (St Aloysius) W Jamie Aramayo (Phoenix)

Class 1 1997
34kg   Liam Homan (Stockbridge) W Kieran McMahon (Rotunda)
36kg   Brandon Daord (Birkenhead) W Bradley Strand (Kirkby)
38kg   William Johnson (Birkenhead) W David Webster (St Aloysius)
40kg   Connor Leatt (Vauxhall Motors) W Adam Unsworth (Rotunda)
42kg   Michael Moore (Huyton) W Corey Lewis (Sefton)
44kg   Connor Smith (Knowsley Vale) W William Potter (Bridgefoot)
48kg   Chris Breen (Rotunda) W Anthony Becket (Kirkby)

Class 2 1997
34kg   Scott Rankin (Knowsley Vale) W Kieran Campbell (Croxteth)
36kg   Andy Cain (Everton Red Triangle) W Ray Hampson (Birkenhead)
38kg   Ethan Bibby (Vauxhall Motors) W Joseph Garner (Rotunda)
40kg   Peter McGrail (Everton Red Triangle) W Lewis Donnelly (St Aloysius)
50kg   James Delaney (Vauxhall Motors) W Jamie Hopwood (Phoenix)
57kg   Callum O’Brien (Tower Hill) W Michael Redman (Golden Gloves)

Class 3 1995
44kg   Michael Roberts (Rotunda) W Steve Williams (West Wirral)
48kg   Tom Aitchison (Kirkby) W William Gardner (Sefton)
50kg   Harry Woods (Kirkby) W Jamie Small (Rotunda)
60kg   Steve Ferguson (Kirkby) W James Lunt (Rotunda)
63kg   Tommy Hart (Rotunda) W Harry Evans (Transport)
66kg   Zack Hopwood (Phoenix) W Mark Crockett (Huyton)