Irish and USA squads in training camp in Boston
The USA and Ireland shared the spoils in the final edition of their three-match international series in Manchester, USA tonight.
Both nations won four contests apiece at the Manchester Downtown Hotel.
Kellie Harrington, Wayne Kelly, Caoimhin Ferguson and Kieran Molloy had their hands raised in victory for the visitors.
The eight-bout meeting, replicating last week’s encounters in Springfield and Boston, was close throughout with five split decisions separating the contestants on a see-saw evening in New Hampshire.
Overall, 50% of the 30-bout St Patrick’s festival treble-header finished on split verdicts.
Harrington boxed well within herself to take her second victory of the tour, and a second win over New York’s Stacia Suttles, while Aoife Burke, who took a standing count from a body shot in the second, finished strong versus eventual victor Leah Cooper.
Francis Cleary was unlucky not to get the nod against James Browning at lightweight. Browning won the first, courtesy of a flashing hook on the ten-second clapper, but Cleary found the target with three sweeping lefts and a crisp combination going down the final stretch following an even second stanza.
Wayne Kelly, who had two split decision go against him last week, deservedly won this evening versus Adrian Benton to level the match at 2-2 and Caoimhin Ferguson edged the visitors ahead for the first time on the tour at the expense of Charlie Sheehy, the Antrim light-welter putting in massive final round to impress two of the three judges.
Molloy detonated some big backhands in rounds two and three in his all-southpaw meeting with Freudis Rojas Jr. to ensure that Ireland could not be beaten on the night.
Nikita Ababiy and Richard Torrez claimed the final two wins after tight encounters with Gerard French and Dean Gardiner to level the match at 4-4.
The Paddy Donovan versus Quinton Randall three-rounder, which would have been a repeat of last Thursday’s meeting in Springfield which Donovan won, was off after the Limerick southpaw picked up an illness.
“Performances have been excellent over the duration of the trip. It has been very worthwhile working with Team America and we are extremely happy,” said IABA High-Performance Director Bernard Dunne, the Irish team manager in the USA.
The Irish squad are due to arrive home Friday morning via Dublin Airport.
USA v Ireland Manchester, New Hampshire
March 21st
60kg Stacia Suttles lost to Kellie Harrington 0-3
75kg Leah Cooper beat Aoife Burke 3-0
60kg James Browning beat Francis Cleary 2-1
64kg Adrian Benton lost to Wayne Kelly 1-2
64kg Charlie Sheehy lost to Caoimhin Ferguson 1-2
69kg Freudis Rojas Jr. lost to Kieran Molloy 1-2
75kg Nikita Ababiy beat Gerard French 3-0
91+kg Richard Torrez beat Dean Gardiner 3-0
USA 4 Ireland 4
USA v Ireland Springfield
March 15th
60kg: Amelia Moore beat Kellie Harrington 2-1
69kg: Oshae Jones beat Grainne Walsh 2-1
60kg: Marc Castro beat George Bates 2-1
64kg Charlie Sheehy beat Wayne Kelly 2-1
64kg: Tiger Johnson beat Caoimhin Ferguson 2-1
69kg: Quinton Randall lost to Paddy Donovan 0-3
75kg: Troy Isley beat Gerard French 3-0
75kg: Nikita Ababiy lost to Brett McGinty 1-2
81kg: Khalil Coe beat Caoimhin Agyarko-Hynes 3-0
91kg: Adrian Tillman lost to Kiril Afanasev 0-3
USA 7 Ireland 3
USA v Ireland Boston
March 12th
54kg: Virginia Fuchs beat Lauren Hogan RSC2
60kg: Stacia Suttles lost to Kellie Harrington 0-3
69kg: Oshae Jones beat Grainne Walsh 2-1
60kg: Marc Castro beat Frankie Cleary 3-0
60kg: Keyshawn Davis beat George Bates 3-0
64kg: Tiger Johnson beat Wayne Kelly 2-1
69kg: Quinton Randall lost to Kieran Molloy 1-2
75kg: Troy Isley beat Bret McGinty 3-0
75kg: Nikita Ababiy lost to Michael Nevin 1-2
81kg: Khalil Coe beat Caoimhin Agyarko-Hynes 3-0
91kg: Adrian Tillman lost to Kiril Afanasev Pts 1-2
91kg+: Richard Torres beat Dean Gardiner 3-0
USA 8 Ireland 4
Irish squad
Female
54kg: Lauren Hogan (St Brigid’s BC)
60kg: Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s BC)
69kg: Grainne Walsh (Spartacus BC)
75kg: Aoife Burke (St Mary’s BC)
Male
91kg+: Dean Gardiner (Clonmel BC)
91kg: Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield BC)
81kg: Caoimhin Agyarko-Hynes (Holy Trinity BC)
75kg: Michael Nevin (Portlaoise BC)
75kg: Brett McGinty (Oakleaf BC)
75kg: Gerard French (Clonard BC)
69kg: Kieran Molloy (Oughterard BC)
69kg: Eugene McKeever (Holy Family BC)
69kg: Paddy Donovan (OLOL BC)
64kg: Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise BC)
64kg: Caoimhin Ferguson (Clonard BC)
60kg: George Bates (St Mary’s BC)
60kg: Francis Cleary (Ballina BC)
Team manager – Bernard Dunne
Head coach – Zauri Antia
Coach – Phillip Keogh
Coach – Martin Donovan
Coach – Paul Thompson