SANDYGATE Amateur Boxing Club’s impressive start to the season continued when the club’s England Novice champion, Brendan Collins, won on his 20th outing against local favourite Colin Burton (Middleton Select ABC) at a packed house at the Middleton Arena, Manchester.

Despite taking on the ring savvy and experience Burton, Collins had the local fighter constantly on the back foot - moving in off a lead hand and working the body with precision hooks.

Burton was saved by the bell at the end of the second when Collins connected with a mighty body blow in the second before the talented Burnley boy remained unfazed in the third as Burton tried to get back in the bout.

It was to no-ones surprise when the man-in-the-middle raised Burnley’s Collins hand a unanimous winner.

Travelling over to Merseyside, Harvey Fletcher, 14, faced Neil McKeonon (Gemini ABC) in a contest of three by two minute rounds.

The Unity Year 9 pupil was always the more accurate of the two fighters, regularly scoring the cleaner shots to the head.

Again it was no surprise that the Sandygate got the unanimous decision at the end of the contest.

Two 10-year-olds made their ring debuts also on the bill in bouts-of-skills. Stuart Reilly faced Ethan Cummings (Gemini ABC) and Charly Vassilev boxed Francis Peake (Gemini ABC) with all boys putting great displays in on their non-verdict England Boxing demonstrations.

And Sandygate’s senior prospect Reece Farnhill was the main event on the action-packed Liverpool bill when he faced Charles Moore (Gemini ABC).

Although he was giving away weight and experience, ultimately Farnhill came through his toughest test to date with flying colours.

He got better as the bout wore on and, following a series of devastating combinations in the third, the referee stepped in and stopped the contest.