George Landers

George Landers is one win away from the finals

Dagenham BC hope George Landers is just one win away from a place in the National schoolboy finals, following his impressive quarter-final victory over Hoddesdon’s Jimmy McDonagh at Oxford on Sunday.

Classy Landers (pictured left), looking to follow his father Spencer who won national title honours nearly 30 years ago during his career at the local Beacon Boxing Club, now steps up for his semi-final test at Feltham this weekend.

The Dagenham Police and Community Club BC hope faces Southampton’s Robert Garner, who has moved through the early rounds on a succession of byes, for a place in the Class Two 52kg National finals at stake against the North of England champion at Mansfield a week later.

Landers showed his class from the start when a cluster of punches floored Hoddesdon BC hope McDonagh in the opening round, which the Dagenham boxer took by a 5-1 margin.

To his credit, Home Counties champion McDonagh fought back strongly in the second session and landed the shots which saw him narrow the gap to 7-4.

However, in the final round, it was the Brittons schoolboy back on top as he landed effective left-hand counter-punches to clinch the verdict by a final score of 14-6.

Hopes of a local double on the schoolboys’ title trail ended with the quarter-final defeat of Barking BC entry Jay Johnson, when he lost his Class Three 46kg final to tough Stevenage rival Isaac Draper.

Barking Abbey schoolboy Johnson, who earlier won the London title in style, made a bright start, catching the Stevenage boxer with effective shots in the opening round to move into a 5-3 lead on the judges’ scorecard.

Home Counties champion Draper turned the table in the second round, stepping up the pressure with fast-punching bursts to make up his deficit and the points stood level at 7-7 when the bell sounded.

It was all on the third and final round and although the Barking boxer slammed home some solid punches, Draper’s bursts clearly impressed the judges who scored him the winner at the end of the bout and sent him into the semi-final.

Barking coach Dave Saddler admitted: “It was all on the final round and although we thought Johnson could have got it, the judges’ votes went to Draper.”