Home fighters suffer an off night

Donnington Boxing Club's big guns were decidedly off-target on the multi-titled outfit's Sunday afternoon show, with home fighters registering only three wins in 10 bouts.

Headliners Elliot Clayton, Yassar Naseer and Hizhar Ahmed all failed to shine on a show that turned somewhat sour for Donnington.

Backroom staff will be particularly concerned by the number of fighters who seeminlgy failed to find an extra gear when needed.

One highlight for the club was the performance of Jack Fletcher, who squeezed out Lions' John Bray in a superb featherweight tussle.

The 21-year-old has shown throughout his career that he possesses a heart as big as a bucket and needed all his reserves of courage to narrowly outpoint an opponent taking part in his 100th fight.

Jack simply applied pressure from the first bell and by the third the pace told on Bray.

Heavy body punches sapped the stamina from the Black Country boxer as Fletcher finished like a steam-train.

Donnington boss Brian Davies said afterwards: "Jack won because he wanted it more - that simple. He was prepared to give everything."

For heavyweight Clayton, a 25-year-old electrician from Hadley, it was his second successive setback on a home show - this time losing a tight, majority decision to tall Welshman Lloyd Davies.

Frustratingly, after showing too much caution early on, Elliot dominated the last round, forcing Davies (Kyber Colts) on the retreat.

Many fans thought Clayton's rally had earned him victory, but the house boxer had left himself with a lot of ground to make-up in the third round.

England featherweight Yassar Naseer was bitterly disappointed after losing to Jimmy Singh (Kings Heath) over four rounds.

After boxing on level terms, 21-year-old Yassar was told to open-up in the last - and found himself caught time and again by Singh.

Brian Davies said: "I told Yassar to step it up, but it was Singh who pulled it out in the last round."

Fellow Donnington feather Hizhar Ahmed looked a shade unlucky to drop a majority decision to old-foe Leo DeLanger.

Defeat pushes the series to 2-1 in the Kings Heath fighter's favour.

Hizhar, 21, started slowly, though more than held his own in the third and fourth rounds.

Joe Streeter's run of good form was halted by William McAllister at featherweight, the Kettering boxer taking a points decision.

Again it was close, with McAllister, the bigger man, landed some eye-catching shots. But 17-year-old Joe stuck to his boxing and was far from disgraced.

Donnington debutant Lewis Ball, 21, made a pleasing start to his career, boxing well behind a stiff jab to take the decision over Chester welterweight Robert Trow.

Fellow newcomer James Hood faced a much tougher proposition in Chester's Eddie Stanley at light-middle, being stopped in the second.

James, 22, simply had no answer to Stanley's right hand. He took a standing count in the first and the ref stepped in after he was dropped in the next round.

Atif Naseer, 13, dropped his second decision to Macauley Cleaver (William Perry). Atif failed to match his opponent's workrate.

Southpaw Akash Tuqir impressed in his debut. The 11-year-old boxed and moved well to outpoint Bradley Johnson (Birmingham Irish).

Amir Fiaz, 14, looked well below-par in losing to Daniel Ryan (Kings Heath) on a majority.

By Mike Lockley