Commonwealth Games: NI’s boxers Gallagher and Eagleson take gold as McNaul wins silver

Northern Ireland boxers Dylan Eagleson and Jude Gallagher won gold at the Commonwealth Games as team-mate Carly McNaul took silver.

Eagleson, 19, then claimed a stunning unanimous decision win over Ghana’s Abraham Mensah.

In the women’s light-flyweight final, Carly McNaul was well-beaten by world champion Zareen Nikhat.

The Belfast native found little success against the mightily impressive world champion, who controlled the distance beautifully to ease to the top of the podium.

A second successive Commonwealth silver for McNaul remains an impressive return for a fighter who has had two operations and suffered a broken femur since the last Games in 2018.

Gallagher takes walkover gold as Eagleson shines

Gallagher was awarded gold after his final opponent Joseph Commey was deemed medically unfit to compete.

It is Gallagher’s second-straight walkover after his semi-final opponent, Canadian Keoma-Ali Al-Ahmadieh, pulled out just 15 minutes before the first bell on Saturday.

The conclusion was a rather flat finale to what had been a highly impressive tournament from the Two Castles ABC man.

He was the first NI boxer in action in the round of 32, and claimed eye-catching impressive wins including the first-round stoppage of home favourite Niall Farrell.

Bangor’s Eagleson then came into the ring and thrilled a packed NEC with a memorable fight. in which he found himself behind following a first round that Mensah controlled with his heavy-handed shots.

However he turned it around with clinical composure far beyond his 19 years, skilfully avoiding the Ghanaian’s combinations before picking up points with beautiful counter-punches to seal a 5-0 win at his first Games.

More to follow.