BOXING: VAUXHALL Motors ABC's Nick MacDonald produced a classy display at Liverpool's Olympia on Friday to collect the North West Counties title in the Senior ABA Championship.
Boxing on the same bill as Olympic silver medallist Amir Khan, who coach George Treble believes MacDonald can at least emulate, the 20-year-old Vauxhall man had far too much for opponent Stuart Mc-Fadden, of Burnley's Sandygate club.
MacDonald clinched the 54kg contest in the third round when proceedings were stopped due to the 'Murphy Rule' which spares boxers from further punishment once they go 20 points behind.
Vauxhall's head coach, Peter Phelan, said: 'We'd seen McFadden box as a novice against a boy from our gym and we knew that he wasn't in the same class as Nick.
'It had been a difficult week of preparation as a heavy cold had prevented Nick from training but he still had far too much for the other lad.
'To be fair, McFadden was game and he came looking for it but that actually helped in his downfall.
'He was too keen and kept getting caught on the counter. He survived a standing eight count in the second round but by the third Nick had gone too far ahead and the contest had to be stopped.'
Ironically, MacDonald, who is ranked number one in the country, had faced a tougher challenge to acquire the West Lancs/Cheshire title in the previous round when he faced national number two, Steven Smith of Rotunda, and was judged to have won the contest by a single point.
He will now face the Eastern Counties Champion at Lowestoft's Ocean Rooms on Saturday in the national quarter-finals. nVauxhall had a trio of boxers in action, at Heswall Royal British Legion, on Monday.
Martin Jones defeated Palace ABC's Gareth Edwards in a scrappy contest while Lee Kirwin was edged out in a close decision against Ben Jones of Twelve Keys after a hard-fought battle.
Fledgling senior Carl McLeod was extremely unfortunate to pick up a loss on his card after the referee stopped him from continuing against West Wirral's Graham McGinty when leading 10-6.
Phelan said: 'Carl had already beaten the same opponent previously but had accidently been caught below the eye by the velcro on McGinty's glove which had caused a nick.'
