Boxing: Forsyth earns high praise despite narrow defeat in final

Holyrood light-heavyweight Brian Forsyth pushed Blantyre club opponent David Jamieson all the way during a 7-5 defeat in the 81kgs Scottish Intermediate Championship final in Motherwell to earn praise from a boxing great at ringside.

While happy to see his own fighter win, John McDermott, the 1962 Commonwealth Games featherweight gold medallist, said: "Forsyth boxed so well that he looked the more experienced boxer of the two."

Forsyth had been equally impressive when winning his semi-final by beating Keir Hardie's Jamie Lamb 8-4.

Leith Victoria coach Ray Gibson was critical of his light-flyweight son, Tylar's losing 9-5 performance against Viewpark's Thomas Logan in the 1998 42kgs final, saying: "Tylar had a good first round but took his foot of the pedal in the second and third to lose by two and three points in each.''

Meadowbank welterweight Owen Spence lost 14-2 to Dundonian Mike Towell of Lochee while Clovenstone coach Rab McEwan was unhappy with the judges verdict which saw Eastern District featherweight champion Ryan McCutcheon lose 7-4 to Bellahouston's Scott McCormack. He said: "Ryan outboxed McCormack. The decision was wrong.''

Holyrood lightweight Phil Coppola also looked unlucky in losing his final to Inverness's Andrew McKay by 5-4 while another Holyrood boxer, light-welterweight Martyn Warner, was defeated by a 5-4 verdict by Hillpark's Gary Hamilton in their 64kgs clash.