Sexton secures place on Irish team

WEST Clare boxer Keelan Sexton, who is the reigning 63kg Irish champion, guaranteed his place on the Irish team for the forthcoming Home Internationals last Saturday when he defeated 67kg champion Mike Ward on a 6-4 scoreline at the National Stadium in Dublin.
Sexton has been training in the Ennis Boxing Club over the past three months, pending the opening of the West Clare Club, and he has been in splendid form in sparring sessions with Ennis fighters Lee Brady and Lee Sherlock. He said after the fight on Saturday that he felt quite lethargic in the first round and allowed Ward to dominate from long range for a 2-0 lead.
However, the second round came to life in the second minute, after Sexton scored with damaging left hooks to the body and trailed by a single point at the bell.
The Clare boxer opened up in the third and final round and outscored Ward, who could not keep Sexton at bay despite his ringcraft and mobility and the resilient Clare fighter was to prevail on a 6-4 scoreline for a ticket to the internationals in February.
Clare boxers from the Ennis and Kilfenora clubs will be in action over the coming weekends with tournaments in Limerick and Clonmel, while on Saturday week, a team from the Olympic Club in Galway will come to Ennis for the annual match against Clare.
It is hoped that Sexton will do battle in this show with Olympic’s JJ Barrett in what promises to be a thriller.