Daina Moorehouse moves one step closer to Paris
Daina Moorehouse marched through to the last 16 of the Olympic Qualifiers in Italy this afternoon.
The flyweight outboxed and outfought Venezuela’s Tayonis Cedeno to move to within two wins of becoming an Olympian.
The latest boxing woman of the Wicklow production line secured a 3-2 split decision win to maintain Ireland’s 100 percent start on Friday.
The bout was cagey at times but Mooreshouse looked the more assured and comfortable throughout. She also looked better value than a 3-2 win.
Not that she’ll mind the scoring, the former underage standout will just be happy to take another step along the path to Paris.
Moorehouse wasn’t long about finding her rhythm after a tentative start from both and took the first round 4-1 thanks to some solid counter-punching and accurate combinations.
The second followed a similar pattern with the decorated Wicklow fighter being patient and producing quality work when called for.
There was more from Cedeno and she found a method of working that allowed her find passage into the fight, throwing with Moorehouse to land scoring blows.
However, she didn’t do enough to win the session outright, meaning Moorehouse went into the last two up on three cards.
With her Olympic dream on the line Cendo tried to force the action in the last but she found it hard to pin down Moorehouse and when she did get the opportunity to land the Enniskerry flyweight had a response.
Moorehosue now joins Martin McDonagh, Grainne Walsh and Kelyn Cassidy in the last 16.
Jude Gallagher will be the last Irish fighter through the ropes at the E-Work Arena, Busto Arsizio on a busy Friday. The Commonwealth Games gold medal winner is up against Mohammad Hussamuddin, himself a two-time Commonwealth medal winner, who will have Bernard Dunne in his corner in the evening session.
1st Olympic World Qualifier Team:
50kg Daina Moorehouse, Enniskerry BC, Wicklow
54kg Jennifer Lehane, DCU Boxing Club, Dublin
66kg Grainne Walsh, St. Mary’s BC, Tallaght, Dublin
51kg Sean Mari, Monkstown BC, Dublin
57kg Jude Gallagher, Two Castles ABC, Tyrone
71kg Aidan Walsh, Holy Family GG BC, Belfast
80kg Kelyn Cassidy, Saviours Crystal, Waterford
92+kg Martin McDonagh, Crumlin BC, Dublin
