PADDY Fitzpatrick still believes that the Garvey Kelly and Ryan Martin fight can happen next year.

The Swindon welterweights have been slated to meet next December in the final show of Fitzpatrick’s and Keith Mayo’s seven-fight deal.

And while the unbeaten Martin watched Sunday’s Grange Drive Leisure Centre action from ringside following the withdrawal of Trowbridge-trained Rob Brown, Kelly put in a below-par performance as he was out-pointed by Lee Connolly, who ended his run of 10 defeats.

The Fitzpatrick-trained Kelly quickly admitted that he had failed to put in the hard work in training but has vowed to bounce back.

The 27-year-old has now lost two of his six fights in his fledgling professional career, while the 21-year-old Richard Farnan-trained Martin has an unblemished record from his half-dozen contests.

“Of course the (Kelly-Martin) fight can still happen,” Fitzpatrick told the Advertiser.

“What you have got is two guys who have had six fights. Garvey is now four and two and Ryan is six and zero.

“The plan is for them to have five more fights and then fight in December next year.

“If they win all of those then you have got one guy who is nine and two and Ryan 11 and zero.

“People will be saying that Ryan will win at this stage – that is fine, but they are interested in this fight taking place.

“Garvey and I want this to happen in December and so do Ryan and his manager Keith (Mayo) – they are the only people who have to agree to this.”

However, Fitzpatrick has warned Kelly that he will have to start putting in the work in training if he is to put Sunday’s loss behind him.

“I’m both gutted and annoyed that Garvey lost,” the Ferndale Road-based trainer said.

“I’m gutted because it is a loss but so annoyed that he didn’t put the work in or listen to me.

“Before the fight I said to him ‘Don’t get’ and he jumped in and said ‘complacent’ – he finished the sentence.

“He wasn’t listening to my instructions in the corner as well.

“In the build-up he was constantly late for training – he was turning up 20 minutes after he should have been at the gym.

“He made weight for the fight, but there is a difference between making weight and looking after your diet and making weight.

“You have to eat the right kind of foods to ensure that you have the right energy.

“For him to come back from this, and there is no reason he can’t, when he comes back to the gym then he will be getting a kick up the backside.”