ST JOSEPH'S College hosted the England Boxing National Schoolboys Pre-Quarter Finals on Sunday, which pitted the Western Counties champions against their counterparts from the London Division, writes DAVE VEYSEY.

From the 20 bouts contested, the West only managed two victories, the first of these being courtesy of Walcot boxer Mikey McDonagh.

The 13-year-old encountered Louis Horn, from Gator ABC, in the Class B U40kgs section.

Former schoolboy champion Horn started well but the second and third rounds saw the Walcot boxer pile on the pressure with combinations of left jabs, straight rights and left hooks and was awarded a unanimous points victory from the ringside judges.

Valiant in defeat were clubmates Drew Hunt and Luke Scott-Browne.

Hunt, 12, lost a close bout with Gerald Saunders, from West Ham, in the Class A, U41.5kgs, category by a unanimous decision, with Saunders proving a little more busy to edge through.

At Class B U32.5kgs, Luke Scott-Browne, 13, lost out to Repton’s George Ellis on points.

Fitzpatrick’s Boxing Gym’s Lewis Roberts put in a brave performance against Repton’s Vincent Driscoll.

The Ferndale Road fighter lost the first round before bouncing back to claim the second session only for the young Londoner to take the final stanza to claim a unanimous points decision.

Coach Paddy Fitzpatrick said: “The experience Lewis will gain from this will only serve to improve him as they (Repton) are a strong club and were stopping all but one of their opponents before Lewis’ fight.

“I want thank (Walcot’s) Harry Scott and his team for helping us out in the corner and Simon (Knowles) from Cirencester ABC.”