PADDY Fitzpatrick is confident that Garvey Kelly can bounce back and build towards a summer showdown with town rival Ryan Martin.

The 27-year-old put in a below-par performance in December when he fell to a points defeat to journeyman Lee Connolly.

That loss at the Grange Drive Leisure Centre was Kelly’s second in six fights, but his Ferndale Road trainer says that the Swindon welterweight will return to action in March.

“Garvey is back in the gym and he is the right side of peed off following his loss,” Fitzpatrick said.

“He got complacent in his last fight and got beat. I was annoyed at him, but he is back and working alongside everyone else.

“He will fight in March, and then we are looking at June for him fighting Ryan.”

Before Kelly can really think about facing his unbeaten town rival Martin, he will be in a six-round contest on the undercard of Eamonn O’Kane’s IBF inter-continental middleweight title defence at the Oasis Leisure Centre on Saturday, March 12.

After that the plan is to return to the Grange Drive Leisure Centre in May before the summer showdown at the Oasis.

“They (Martin’s camp) were calling for the fight sooner rather than later,” Fitzpatrick said. “We wanted it in December.

“The March show is going to be too busy, Eamonn is defending his IBF belt and Duke (Luke Watkins) will be the chief support.

“So I have met with Keith (Mayo, Martin’s manager and promoter) and said we’d split the difference and do it June.

“Garv and I want it, Keith is happy and now it is up to Ryan.

“It will be on a show called ‘Bragging Rights’, being the main event over 10 rounds.

“We’d like it for the Irish title – Garvey is descendant of Ireland, but they are not keen.

“Maybe it could be for the Southern Area title, but that is not available at the moment.

“But it can’t be for anything less because I feel it would diminish the fight.”

Fitzpatrick also said that his light-heavyweight Sam Smith is likely to make his second appearance in the pro ranks in a six round contest on the March Swindon show.