RAPHOE BC IMPRESS AT VILLA PARK - Irish Athletic Boxing Association

Donegal middleweight Jason Quigley was at ringside to cheer on the Raphoe BC versus a Birmingham Select at Villa Park last Friday night.

In front of a crowd of over 600 people in the Holte Suite at the home of Aston Villa, Raphoe were edged out 7-4.

“It was a great experience for our boxers in a massive stadium with an electric atmosphere,” said Raphoe chairman Peter O’Donnell.

Among Raphoe’s winners were Dennis ‘The Menace’ Lafferty, who overcame Bradley Ferrie of the Second City boxing club in Birmingham. Lafferty has a knack of pulling big results from the hat and he did so again here against the former British youth champion.

Dominic Bradley from Errigal BC overcame Louis Coley in one of the fights of the night.

Eoin McGarrell, another former Irish champion, was well in his fight with Jay Turner until Turner hit the bullseye. A fire-cracking body blow wounded McGarrell and the fight was halted in the third round.

World and European youth bronze medallist Jude Gallagher, from Two Castles in Newtownstewart, was set to guest for Raphoe on the night but his opponent, Joe Collins, withdrew from the bout on Friday morning.

Results: P Hanna (Cookstown) lt Farran Farrell (Second City) AB2; T Brolly (St John’s) lt P Farrell (Second City) 1-2; T Mayse (Two Castles) lt C Collins (North Side, Birmingham) 0-3; L McMonagle (Raphoe) lt D Cliffe (Frankie Gavin BC) 1-2; C Bigger (Cookstown) bt B Coley (Second City) 2-1; E McGarrell (Raphoe) lt J Turner (Frankie Gavin) RSC 3; D Bradley (Errigal) bt Louis Coley (Second City) 2-1; D Lafferty (Raphoe) bt Bradley Ferrie (Second City) 2-1; L Crawford (Raphoe) lt D Donnelly (Second City) 1-2; B McNamee (Convoy) bt O Cassidy (Priory Park) 3-0; R McGlinchey (Raphoe) lt to D Glover (West Warks) 0-3