Molloy joins McKenna and Nevin in Euro Youth Championship semi finals

Kieran Molloy assured Ireland of at least a third bronze medal at the European Junior Championships in Anapa, Russia this afternoon.

The Galway southpaw saw off the challenge of Remo Salvatia over three, two minute rounds, the Italian taking a standing count after being on the receiving end of a massive left in the third. Two judges gave Molloy 30-26 rounds, but a third marked it 29-28 in his favour.

But, while Molloy, who won all three rounds,was celebrating, James McGivern, Shane Flavin and John Nevin bowed out.

McGivern claimed the second round against Anataliy Zhirnov, but the talented Russian, who had won the first, took the third and victory, while Flavin and Nevin gave it everything they had in the light-fly and fly classes against England’s Levi Koates and Georgia’s Giorgi Manjavide but had to accept second best on the day.

Earlier today, Aaron McKenna and Michael Nevin convincingly won their quarter-finals to guarantee our first two bronze medals of the Championships.

McKenna secured Ireland’s first medal of the 33-nation tournament with a top notch performance earlier today.

The Old School BC ace dominated Russia’s Magomed Magomedbekov in the 50kg last-eight decider to make the last-four. McKenna, the 2013 European Schoolboy champion, was on top in the first and caught Magomedbekov with three successive heads shots as his opponent idled on the ropes. The second was close, but McKenna followed up with a big third to advance to the semi-finals.

(As of 4pm today, hosts Russia, who had 12 in today’s quarter-finals, won all their bouts – except their contest against McKenna).

Nevin turned on the style from the first minute of the opening round to progress at the expense of Croatia’s Majej Uremovic, who took a standing count off a combination in the second, and who might have taken a further count seconds later from another three-punch combo.

Nevin sealed the deal and a dynamic six minutes work with a right to the head on the final bell.

Terry McEntee couldn’t really have done anymore than he did today against Oleg Chulyacheteyv. Aaron McKenna’s Old School BC team-mate landed the majority of the cleaner shots, constantly pushed forward, was the more aggressive and had his opponent spinning in circles and on the run in the third, but the decision went to the Ukrainian on a split from a three-rounder which the Irish pin weight did more than enough to win.

Oran Keddle lost out to lively Moldovan lightweight Vadim Carajia. Keddle tagged his opponent with some neat counters in the second, but the Irish lightweight took a standing count near the end of the frame off a right hook.

Blaine O’Brien lost the first round, but did enough to shade the third against solid Bulgarian middleweight Georgi Traikov. The second frame was close. Traikov probably edged that stanza, while O’Brien deserves credit for upping the pace and putting in a big final two minutes in the 75kg class.

Great credit to the Irish coaching staff in Anapa today, as Molloy, Flavin, McGivern and Nevin were in rings A and B in bouts 4 and 5 simultaneously and Ireland’s seconds had to be on on their toes at the Sports Complex venue.

Thursday is a rest day at the tournament. The semi-finals and finals will be held on Friday and Saturday.

European Junior Championships 2014 Anapa, Russia
November 1st (last 32)

52kg John Nevin (Ireland) beat Pavel Kamanin (Estonia) 3-0
70kg Brett McGinty (Ireland) beat Lazzio Kozak (Hungary) 3-0

November 2nd
50kg Aaron McKenna (Ireland) beat Mohammed Zeroual (France) 3-0 (last 16)
66kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) beat Alessandro Azzaro (Italy) 3-0 (last 32)

November 3rd (last 16)
46kg Terry McEntee (Ireland) beat Alessionde Leonardis (Italy) 3-0
48kg Shane Flavin (Ireland) beat Burak Tucel (Turkey) 3-0
70kg Brett McGinty (Ireland) lost to Mladen Sobjeslavski (Croatia) 0-3
75kg Blaine O’Brien (Ireland) beat Dmitri Gumen (Moldova) 2-1
80kg James Clarke (Ireland) lost to Nikoloz Begadze (Georgia) 0-3

November 4th (last 16)
52kg John Nevin (Ireland) beat Eetu Viitanen (Finland) 3-0
54kg Andy McDonagh (Ireland) lost to Ahmad Shtwi (Israel) 1-2
57kg James McGivern (Ireland) beat Vladzisdlav Valiavaty (Belarus) 3-0
60kg Oran Keddle (Ireland) beat Michael Terteryan (Denmark) 3-0
63kg Kieran Molloy (Ireland) beat Catalin Bitca (Moldova) 3-0
66kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) beat Bulatcan Sahin (Turkey) 3-0

November 5th (Quarter-finals)
46kg Terry McEntee (Ireland) lost to Oleg Chulyacheteyv (Ukraine) 1-2
48kg Shane Flavin (Ireland) lost to Levi Koates (England) 0-3
50kg Aaron McKenna (Ireland) beat Magomed Magomedbekov (Russia) 3-0
52kg John Nevin (Ireland) lost to Giorgi Manjavide (Georgia) 0-3
57kg James McGivern (Ireland) lost to Anataliy Zhirnov (Russia) 0-3
60kg Oran Keddle (Ireland) lost to Vadim Carajia (Moldova) 0-3
63kg Kieran Molloy (Ireland) beat Remo Salvatia (Italy) 3-0
66kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) beat Majej Uremovic (Croatia) 3-0
75kg Blaine O’Brien (Ireland) lost to Georgi Traikov (Bulgaria) 0-3

November 7th S/Finals

50kg Aaron McKenna (Ireland) v Arturas Zinkovski (Lithuania)
63kg Kieran Molloy (Ireland) v Artur Namberger (Germany)
66kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) v Ofek Klugman (Israel)

Irish squad

46kg Terry McEntee (Old School)
48kg Shane Flavin (Paulstown)
50kg Aaron McKenna (Old School) (bronze, at least)
52kg John Nevin (Cavan)
54kg Andy McDonagh (St Paul’s, Waterford)
57kg James McGivern (St George’s)
60kg Oran Keddle (St Bronaghs)
63kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard) (bronze, at least)
66kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise) (bronze, at least)
70kg Brett McGinty (Oakleaf)
75kg Blaine O’Brien (Clonmel)
80kg James Clarke (Kilnamanagh)
Coaches: Bill McClean & Ger McDaid
Physio: Niamh Kennedy
R&J: Jim McCarron