Boxing: Jason ready to show his true colours at Coatbridge

Craigmillar coach Kenny McCartney is adamant Jason Easton won't be dethroned as national light-welterweight champion at tomorrow's Scottish Amateur Championship prelims.

Easton could face James Thomson of Stirling's 1314 club and Jamie Coyle, his club boss, reckons Thomson will get the better of Easton at Coatbridge, saying: "James beat Jason Easton convincingly on a club show earlier this season and, if the pair are drawn together this weekend, we're confident he'll give a repeat performance."

However, McCartney countered: "Thomson won last time because Easton hadn't been training as hard as he usually does but I guarantee that Easton will be in peak form.''

Leith Victoria coach Ray Gibson, meanwhile, conceded that lightweight Sean White will have an uphill struggle to dethrone Lochend's 2010 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Josh Taylor, admitting: "If Taylor moved up a weight as he originally indicated to light-welterweight I'd fancy White to have a chance of doing well, although depending on the draw, he could still get through to the finals. However, I'm pretty sure that our British Universities welterweight champion Alistair Hardie can do well although the guy to beat will be Western champion Aston Brown.

At middleweight, Bronx Tranent coach Alex Brown is tipping Midlothian's Scott Grant to both advance to the finals on March 25 at Coatbridge and win the Scottish 75kg title. "Scott Grant has impressed me while training at our gym and I strongly fancy him to see off guys like Barrhead's Brian Peacock or Glenrothes' Andy McKelvie,'' he said.

At light-heavyweight, Lochend's Stevie Nichol will find Fifer Kevin Bruce of the Kingdom club - a seasoned Scottish champion - the man to beat.

Lochend's reigning Scottish youth featherweight champion, Kevin Skey, is hoping for a quick return with Zetland's Bryce Stewart, who recently outpointed him at Meadowbank while Queensferry's Sean Spence is entered at light-welterweight. Other eastern boxers boxing at Coatbridge, are Holyrood trio Phil Coppola (60kg), Martyn Warner (64kg) and Chris Givan (69kg); Craigmillar trio, bantamweight James Bruce and lightweights Daniel Wickstead and Tony James.

Finally, at the Scottish Women's championships - also tomorrow - Leith Victoria flyweight Magdalena Berns will be the sole carrier of Edinburgh title hopes. Boxing at the Time Capsule starts at noon with admission payable on the door.