AmateurHeadline News

Magic Mike! Donoghue beats reigning champ to reach European final

Michael Donoghue made sure three Irish fighters will be fighting for gold in the European Junior Championships. 

The St Michael’s Athy BC fighter joined Marie Marine-Gabriel and Winnie McDonagh in decider day and will look to upgrade his guaranteed silver to a more coveted medal tomorrow.

The talented light flyweight showed real class when registering his fourth win in the Romania hosted tournament by defeating the reigning champion Boris Eroshkin.

The Russian opted to try and reduce the three rounder to a toe-to-toe battle, but Donoghue showed true class and composure to register a well-deserved victory to improve Ireland’s representation at the business end of the tournament tomorrow.

An other Irish fighter in Friday’s semi finals Martin McCullough had to settle for bronze after defeat to Russia’s Ivan Kobzev in the featherweight class.

The Gleann BC teen asked plenty of question of his rangy opponent, particularly in the first round of an up tempo all southpaw battle, but the Russian progressed.

Taylor Guiney was also unlucky not to make the finals as he suffered Ireland sixth semi final defeat to Russian opposition.

The Drimnagh BC stand out landed the majority of cleaner and solid shots and was the more aggressive versus Vladislave Chepizhko with the unofficial consensus being that he won the first and third rounds.

However, the talented Russian fighter got the decision after a delay in announcing the result which suggested that the verdict was taken after a count back.

As things stand, Ireland are guaranteed at least three silver medals and six bronze in Romania.

Russia, Ukraine and Ireland had the highest representation in the semi-finals over the last 24 hours.

European Male and Female Junior Championships Galati, Romania, May 22/June 2

June 1

Finals

48kg Michael Donoghue (Ireland) v Dmytro Molodan (Ukraine)
50kg Marie Marine-Gabriel (Ireland) v Valeriaa Linkova (Russia)
63kg Winnie McDonagh (Ireland) v Viola Piras (Italy)

May 31

S/Finals

48kg Michael Donoghue (Ireland) beat Boris Eroshkin (Russia) Pts
57kg Martin McCullough (Ireland) lost to Ivan Kobzev (Russia) Pts
66kg Taylor Guiney (Ireland) lost to Vladislave Chepizhko (Russia) 2-3

May 30

S/Finals

48kg Robyn Kelly (Ireland) lost to Anastasia Kirienko (Russia) 0-5
50kg Marie Marine-Gabriel (Ireland) beat Elen Ayari (Italy) 5-0
54kg Aaliyah Butler (Ireland) lost to Liana Tarasian (Russia) 0-5
63kg Winnie McDonagh (Ireland) beat Ani Manukyan (Germany) 5-0
66kg Tiegan Farrell (Ireland) lost to Natalia Zavialova (Russia) 0-5
75kg Dearbhla Tinnelly (Ireland) lost to Valeriia Vorontsova (Russia) 0-4

May 28

Q/Finals

46kg Breda Quilligan (Ireland) lost to Fanni Kovacs (Hungary) 0-5
46kg Dylan Eagleson (Ireland) lost to Timur Khalilov (Russia) 2-3
50kg Marie Marine-Gabriel (Ireland) beat Veronika Zajicova (Czech Republic) 5-0
54kg Aaliyah Butler (Ireland) beat Antoneia Alecu (Romania) 5-0
60kg Michael McCarthy (Ireland) lost to Magomed Mamaev (Russia) 0-5
66kg Tiegan Farrell (Ireland) beat Radmyla Rodinova (Ukraine) 3-2
66kg Taylor Guiney (Ireland) beat Narek Zakharyan (Armenia) 5-0
75kg Dearbhla Tinnelly (Ireland) beat Nur Kocaoglu (Turkey) 4-1
75kg Mark Duffy (Ireland) lost to Vinny Huczmann (England) 0-5

May 27

Q/Finals

48kg Robyn Kelly (Ireland) beat Gamze Soguksu (Turkey) 5-0
48kg Michael Donoghue (Ireland) beat Said Abdullayev (Azerbaijan) 5-0
63kg Winnie McDonagh (Ireland) beat Lia Pukkila (Finland) 5-0
57kg Martin McCullough (Ireland) beat Matvei Starikov (Estonia) 5-0
57kg Nicole O’Sullivan (Ireland) lost to Cristina Ciobanu (Romania) 1-4
70kg Shauna Doherty (Ireland) lost to Melania Moldovan (Romania) 2-3
70kg Eoghan Lavin (Ireland) lost to Mikhail Usov (Russia) 0-5
80kg Margaret Stokes (Ireland) lost to Natalia Hodyk (Ukraine) 1-4

May 26

Last 16

46kg Dylan Eagleson (Ireland) beat Rafael Lozano (Spain) 5-0
48kg Michael Donoghue (Ireland) beat James Sweeney (Scotland) 5-0
52kg Donagh Keary (Ireland) lost to Asad Aghayev (Azerbaijan) 0-5
60kg Michael McCarthy (Ireland) beat Giorgi Zhorzhaliani (Georgia) 3-2
66kg Taylor Guiney (Ireland) beat Andrei Mustet (Turkey) 5-0
70kg Eoghan Lavin (Ireland) beat Alperen Terzi (Turkey) 4-1

May 25

Last 16

52kg Rachael Lawless (Ireland) lost to Sophia Mazzoni (Italy) 0-5
54kg Aaliyah Butler (Ireland) beat Ellie Taylor (Wales) 5-0
57kg Martin McCullough (Ireland) beat Ares Hakoyban (Armenia) 4-0
63kg Winnie McDonagh (Ireland) beat Ceren Tuncer (Turkey) 5-0
75kg Mark Duffy (Ireland) beat Lucian Miltitelu (Romania) 5-0

Last 32

54kg Mustafa Edris (Ireland) lost to Royston Smith-Barney (England) 1-4

May 24

Prelims Last 16/32

1st session

48kg Michael Donoghue (Ireland) beat Zoltan Cservak (Hungary) 5-0
48kg Robyn Kelly (Ireland) beat Iryna Melnyk (Ukraine) 5-0
66kg Taylor Guiney (Ireland) beat Orhan Mehmet (Turkey) 5-0
66kg Tiegan Farrell (Ireland) beat Petra Kovacs (Hungary) 5-0
80+kg Thomas McDonnell (Ireland) lost to Dzmitry Barysav (Belarus) 1-4
50kg Jason Nevin (Ireland) lost to Saba Tkebuchave (Georgia) 1-4
57kg Martin McCullough (Ireland) beat Kevin Bohm (Sweden) 5-0
60kg Shelby Myres (Ireland) lost to Maryna Muliarchk (Belarus) 2-3
63kg Thomas King (Ireland) lost to Niv Rahamin (Israel) 1-4
80kg James Ward (Ireland) lost to Jack Turnbull (England) 2-3

Irish squad

Female

46kg Breda Quilligan (Rathkeale)
48kg Robyn Kelly (Ballynacargy) (Bronze)
50kg Marie Marine-Gabriel (Mulhuddart) (Silver, at least)
52kg Rachael Lawless (Portlaoise) Cpt
54kg Aaliyah Butler (Monivea) (Bronze)
57kg Nicole O’Sullivan (Corinthians)
60kg Shelby Myres (Crumlin)
63kg Winnie McDonagh (Neilstown) (Silver, at least)
66kg Tiegan Farrell (Arklow) (Bronze)
70kg Shauna Doherty (Sacred Heart, Dublin)
75kg Dearbhla Tinnelly (Clann Naofa) (Bronze)
80kg Margaret Stokes (Callan)

Male

46kg Dylan Eagleson (St Pauls, Antrim)
48kg Michael Donoghue (St Michaels Athy) (Silver, at least)
50kg Jason Nevin (Olympic Mullingar)
52kg Donagh Keary (Rathfriland)
54kg Mustafa Edris (Monkstown, Dublin)
57kg Martin McCullough (Gleann) (Bronze)
60kg Michael McCarthy (Mayfield)
63kg Thomas King (Ratoath)
66kg Taylor Guiney (Drimnagh) (Bronze)
70kg Eoghan Lavin (Ballyhaunis) Cpt
75kg Mark Duffy (Charlestown)
80kg John Ward (Brosna)
80+kg Thomas McDonnell (Docklands)

IABA President: Dominic O’Rourke
Team managers: Eugene O’Kane Snr and Anne Murphy
Coaches: Billy McClean, James Doyle, Gerard McDaid, John Gallagher, Aoife Hennigan
R&J: Loughlin Gannon

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Jonny Stapleton

Irish-boxing.com contributor for 15 years and editor for the past decade. Have been covering boxing for over 16 years and writing about sports for a living for over 20 years. Former Assistant Sports editor for the Gazette News Paper Group and former Tallaght Voice Sports Editor. Have had work published in publications around the world when working as a freelance journalist. Also co-founder of Junior Sports Media and Leinster Rugby PRO of the Year winner. email: editoririshboxing@gmail.com

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