Brett McGinty (left)
BY CHRIS MCNULTY
ST Johnston cousins Brett McGinty and Callum Toland will be joined by Dungloe ace Kevin McMonagle and John Moran from Illies in national finals this weekend in Dublin after they came through this weekend’s action on the South Circular Road.
McGinty is into the Youth 1 70kgs final, with Toland set to glove off in the Boy 1 54kgs decider and McMonagle will be in action when the bell goes for the final of the Youth 1 46kgs final.
2012 European Schoolboys bronze medal winner McGinty is in excellent form these days and the Deele College student, who dons the colours of the Oakleaf ABC from Derry, was never in trouble in his semi-final on Saturday.
McGinty coasted to a unanimous decision win against Nathan Doran (Bay City). From start to finish, McGinty was in command and he now faces Christopher O’Reilly from Bracken in Saturday’s final.
Toland’s stock is rapidly rising too. Another from the Oakleaf stable, he scored two impressive wins at the weekend. After dispatching Matthew McDonagh (Geesala) 3-0 on Friday night, Toland stepped it up again on Saturday in the semi-final.
The tenacious Toland took a split decision verdict to defeat Joseph Kennedy from Westside and he now looks forward to a final meeting with Sean Purcell from Marble City.
Illies man Moran was excellent when overcoming Daniel Hurley (Togher) as the Donegal man surged to a 3-0 win and he faces Avona’s Michael Maughan in Saturday’s final.
McMonagle was handed a walkover win from his semi-final and the Dungloe puncher will now be up against Shane Flavin from the Paulstown club in Kilkenny in the Youth 1 46kgs final.
This weekend, Joseph Reddin (Illies Golden Gloves) will be up against Jack Doyle (Clonmel) in a Youth 2 semi-final at 66kgs after he scored an impressive 3-0 win over Paulstown’s Jimmy Jackman.
Liam Callaghan (Carndonagh) at 50kgs, Ryan Greene of Illies at 57kgs and Twin Towns’ Conor McGlynn have yet to box, and all three are looking ahead to semi-final in the Youth 2 Championships.
There was a surprise defeat for Convoy’s Bryan McNamee, who was beaten by Aaron Gethins, a wiry southpaw from Ballinacarrow. McNamee never got going and fell to a 3-0 verdict.
Illies Golden Gloves’ Eamon Sweeney was beaten by Dean Kayes (Eastside), Stephen Bonner of Buncrana lost to a Tko from Michael O’Dwyer (Rathkeale) and Brian Elliot from Letterkenny came off second best in his meeting with Blaine O’Brien (Clonmel).
There was also disappointment for Finn Valley’s Leon ‘Chip’ Gallagher. After defeating Reece Donovan (Togher) on Friday, Gallagher was pipped by Olympic’s Tony McDonagh in the Boy 4 66kgs semi on Saturday.
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