Boxing: Philbin on the mark for Queensferry

LOCHEND welterweight Tommy Philbin produced a dazzling display which ensured the Queensferry club got the better of an Irish select at Easter Road, writes BRIAN DONALD.

Philbin's opponent Niall McGinley, from Omagh's Bishop Kelly club, had to endure two standing counts after a flurry of ferocious body punches. That earned Philbin a win and with it a 7-5 overall victory in the match.

Another excellent welterweight winner for the hosts was Scottish champion Chris McHale, who shrugged off some hard left hooks from Matt Connery of Tyrone in the first round to sweep back to a points victory thanks to some eye-catching double left jabs.

Andy McFarlane enjoyed victory too, as he hit simply too hard and too often for Irishman Kevin Leonard which meant that the man from Barry McGuigan's former Smithboro amateur club was stopped in the third round following two counts.

There were mixed fortunes for the Queensferry Spence brothers Sean, Owen and Lee with light-welterweight Sean being well outpiointed by Cavan's Adam Cullen, while welterweight Owen stopped the Irish team's Mark Skinner in round two. Lightweight fighter Lee also lost, on points, to Cavan's Steven Jackson.

• LOCHEND coach Terry McCormack has confirmed that two of his pro boxers, ex-British featherweight champion Paul Appleby and his welterweight John Thain, will box selected opponents on 16 July in London. The weekend marks a two-pronged assault from Scots south of the Border, with former WBO super-featherweight champion Alex Arthur fighting 24 hours later on a Ricky Hatton promotions show in Manchester.