TYLER Goodjohn and Perry Moore endured miserable journeys home from Newcastle, after being denied semi-final places on split decisions. The Haddenham boxers were hotly-tipped to win the Junior ABA Championships after becoming Eastern Counties champions.

TYLER Goodjohn and Perry Moore endured miserable journeys home from Newcastle, after being denied semi-final places on split decisions.

The Haddenham boxers were hotly-tipped to win the Junior ABA Championships after becoming Eastern Counties' champions.

Goodjohn, 15, faced Middlesbrough's Louis Cunningham in a fast-paced under-66kg contest.

Cunningham flew out of the corner, but Goodjohn countered well with firm left and right body shots and took the first round.

Both boxers fought for control off the centre of the ring and Cunningham delivered a vast range of precise shots to win the second round, before edging the final round on points.

Coach Mick Sawyer said: "It was an excellent match between two very strong boys. I told Tyler at the end of the second round that he was going to have to work extremely hard because Cunningham was so fit, and it must have been very hard to call. Tyler's still one of the best boxers of his age in the country and he has a great future in the sport."

In East Durham's Declan Fusco, 6ft 3in Moore had the unusual experience of facing an opponent of a similar height in his under-80kg match.

A tactical dual saw both fighters attempt to box from the back foot, and after struggling to land many clean shots, Moore lost out on points.

Sawyer said: "This was only Perry's seventh fight and he struggled with the pressure of the big occasion. He's only 16 and he's getting fitter and stronger all the time.

"Both boys had a good chance of winning the title, but they will come back fighting.