James Beech defies odds to advance

Walsall's James Beech made it through to the quarter-finals of the ABA Schoolboys national championships – after nearly having his Midlands title took away from him.

The Pleck ABC amateur had to box for a second time last Friday for to make the pre-quarters on Sunday afternoon, after a complaint from the beaten fighter in the area final led to a re-run.

Birmingham City ABC put in an official complaint after the computer scoring – used to judge punches landed – malfunctioned in the third and last round of Beech's meeting with Khizer Ali the previous weekend.

The ABA ordered the two must box again, despite Beech winning the other two rounds of the original fight, and the same resulted was recorded last Friday, a unanimous points decision.

Less than 48 hours later, Beech was back in the ring at the Manchester Boxing Centre of Excellence representing the Midlands Counties against the North West Region.

The Brownhills Comprehensive School pupil was on his last chance in his third and final year in the competition in Class Three – boxers born in 1997 – at 48kg against Chorley ABC's Matthew Walton.

And Beech produced the goods once again to take charge of the contest and record a comfortable 13-3 win over the distance, to take a most deserved spot in next weekend's next phase.

But Liam Gould, of the William Perry ABC in Tipton, was eliminated yesterday, although Aston ABC's George Battenbough advanced with another impressive showing.

Gould was edged out 25-20 by Ashton Albion ABC's Alex Clegg at 48kg in Class Two – boxers born in 1998 – after three see-saw rounds.

The Coseley High School Student hung in there despite struggling with the strength and volume of punches of his opponent who also won the first two rounds, 9-7 and 16-12.

Battenbough left it late but made progress again in his first year in the competition boxing in Class One in Class One – boxers born in 1999 – against Manx's ABC Conor Pinnington.

The Cardinal Wiseman School pupil was dead level in the judges' eyes at the end of each of the first two rounds, with the scores tied at 1-1 and 4-4.

But Battenbough took matters into his own hands to put the result beyond doubt with a convincing display in the last round, walking away with the decision by 16-6.