Dominant Desmond reaches European Championships quarter-final
Christina Desmond eased her way into the European Championship quarter-finals with a one-sided win in Budva, Montenegro this evening.
The Macroom light middleweight won every round on every card against Maryna Malovana in the final bout of a busy weekend of European Championships action.
The Rebel county southpaw dominated the Ukrainian from start to finish to come away with a 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, 30-26, 30-27 win.
The victory sees Desmond move to within one win of a medal, a position Amy Broadhurst, Carly McNaul, Aoife O’Rourke, Michaela Walsh, Kaci Rock, and Kellie Harrington all find themselves in.
Desmond had to deal well with her awkward opponent in the first round, producing the cleaner work between Ukrainian-inspired clinches to take the lead.
The Macroom fighter managed to create more space from which to work in the second and her superiority became even more apparent.
She landed crisp southpaw leads and tasted her opponent’s chin with her back hand, on the rarer occasion her opponent did manage to grab hold, Desmond worked for her free hand and stayed busy.
The Cork fighter had her opponent fully worked out by the third, successfully using the lead hook and straight shots to win a third-round across the board.
Aoife O’Rourke and Amy Broadhurst were equally impressive earlier in the day defeating Greek and Turkish opposition to progress while European Under 22 champ Niamh Fay lost out to a Ukrainian.
Team Ireland Squad
48kg: Shannon Sweeney, St. Anne’s, Mayo
50kg: Caitlin Fryers, Immaculata BC, Belfast
52kg: Carly McNaul, Ormeau Road BC, Belfast
54kg: Niamh Fay, Phoenix of Ballyboughal BC, Dublin
57kg: Michaela Walsh, Emerald BC, Belfast
60kg: Kellie Harrington, St. Mary’s BC, Dublin
63kg: Amy Broadhurst, St. Bronagh’s ABC, Newry
66kg: Kaci Rock, Enniskerry BC, Wicklow
70kg: Christina Desmond, Dungarvan BC/Garda BC
75kg: Aoife O’Rourke, Olympic BC, Galway
Coaches:
Zauri Antia
John Conlan
Dmitrij Dmitruk
Eoin Pluck
Physio
Rob Tuomey.
