Golden Gloves heartbreak for brave Tyler

TYLER Goodjohn suffered heartbreak at the last hurdle as he lost in the final of the junior Golden Gloves on Friday.

Boxing in the under-63kg category in the final at Knottingley, West Yorks, Haddenham ABC's Goodjohn knocked down his opponent in the second round with a straight right.

But it was Ryan Ashton, of Dudley-based Priory Park ABC, who took the title with an 8-6 points victory.

Goodjohn, 14, had trouble coming to terms with Ashton's long-range style and it was this failure to adjust which ultimately cost him.

Head trainer Mick Sawyer said: "Ashton notched up three points in the first round and then ran. He most likely had instructions to do that, but Tyler should have won.

"You don't get any extra reward for a knockdown these days, which I think is wrong, but that's the way these things go.

"I'm not worried and I don't think Tyler's worried, because he knows he's got a future in the sport. It's not bad being the second-best in the country at 14.

"We'll just have to prepare for next season."

Sawyer takes four fighters - Terry Moore, Drury Price, Harry Price and Joe Badhams - to Canvey Island tonight while Charlie Sawyer and Stephen Moore are both in action at Norwich on Saturday.

n Little Thetford boxer Shane Sadler took the honours in the junior Eastern Counties finals at Brentwood on Friday.

Boxing in the 63-66kg category, Chatteris ABC's Sadler defeated R Ferguson, of Norwich Lads, on points in his first four-round bout.

It was sweet revenge for Sadler on his 18th birthday, as he lost to Ferguson last year while boxing for Haddenham ABC.

Sadler controlled the first three rounds by slip-punching and hitting with crisp combinations with a switching stance.

Ferguson had to come out strongly in the last round knowing he was well behind, but Sadler was always in control.