THE boxers of Jersey Leonis ABC put on an excellent display against London Trojans ABC at the club’s 50th anniversary fight night event on Saturday.

‘We’ve got some real good boys boxing now, and they put in a great performance on Saturday night,’ club coach Dave Thompson said.

‘Ben Murray was fantastic and Ollie Power now has his own fan club who turn out to cheer him on.

He’s brave and courageous, but he also needs to learn to look after himself while he’s in the ring.’ The only disappointment on an otherwise excellent night was the non-appearance of a few of the London boxers, which meant some Leonis boxers had no opponent.

‘I wanted all our big boys boxing but people didn’t turn up.

It’s very disappointing as the lads have been training since August and they won’t get a fight before the New Year unless I can get them away from the Island,’ Thompson explained.

He added: ‘We pay the air fares to bring the visitors over and we can’t get any money back if people just don’t turn up, so it is very expensive for the club.’ However, on Saturday the local boxers notched up five wins to one against visiting London club Trojans, and there were three ‘no decison’ contests – one where Leonis lads, lightweights Joe Rogerson and John Watkins, boxed each other; a second in which Trojans’ Nathan Scott (Junior Olympic bronze-medallist) and Nick Myers boxed; and the third, between Leonis’s Danny Maka and Trojans’ Andrea Canegrati, which was deemed by the official not be an acceptable bout for Maka, although boxed, didn’t count towards the overall tally although the Leonis lad looked a clear points winner.

Top bout of the night was undoubtedly that between Jersey’s popular lightweight Ben Murray and the North London club’s Peter Liggins.

A partisan crowd cheered on the local lad who, from the bell, used his left to find the range then landed a right uppercut to his opponent’s chin while left-rights and right over the top to Liggins’ head forced the visitor in close to work his favoured left hook.

But Murray’s tight defence blocked them as he countered with short, sharp left hooks and right uppercuts.

Liggins traded left and right hooks with Murray in round two – with some success – but Murray replied with a right uppercut and four short fast rights.

The Londoner came back in round three, trying to land left hooks to head and body, but Murray stopped most of the blows and his big right hand forced referee Michael Sullivan to give Liggins a standing eight count.

Although Liggins showed his mettle as he tried to swing the bout his way, Murray’s fast, hard jab did some damage.

A wicked right over the top floored Liggins and the bout was Murray’s.

Light welterweights Ollie Power and visitor Noel Redington provided a clash of styles and it was Power’s better left jab and footwork that helped him score.

At times the boxing became untidy but Power stuck to the task and was delighted with the unanimous decision at the end.

Leonis southpaw Paul Young was well-matched with Southwick’s James Brewster.

Young’s lefts to body and left hooks to Brewster’s side were countered by the visitor’s long, straight rightw which meant Young had to push forward to work up close.

Young won by a majority decision and now his ABA Championship challenge gets under way, starting on 29 January.

The bout between light middleweight Shaun Irvine and Trojan John Clooney was a fiery one which the Jersey lad won after his opponent was disqualified at the end of round one after he kept punching well after the bell had gone.

Clooney had to be restrained by referee and trainer after a brief bout in which the English lad had, quite simply, been outclassed and given a bloody nose into the bargain.

James Manners (Pisces) and Michael McDonough both worked hard in their light welterweight contest, but the Londoner won by a majority decision.

Ruben Legge wasted no time in his bout with Patrick McDonough, stalking him round the ring and keeping him moving with left jabs and one-two-threes to the head.

The Jersey boxer had found his range and ref Michael Sullivan gave the Trojan a standing eight count towards the end of round two.

A second standing count, after Legge’s double right to the head hurt the Englishman, brought the bout to an end in Legge’s favour.

Former Commonwealth welterweight Tony Swift presented the trophies which were sponsored by Brocken and Fitzpatrick Scaffolding Ltd.

Jersey Leonis ABC are sponsored by Royal Liver Assurance.