BRIDPORT Amateur Boxing Club coach Alan Slaney has praised the performances of seven home fighters in the organisation’s recent fight night at Freshwater Holiday Park.

Slaney’s fighters all acquitted themselves well and, although there were no home wins on the night, three boxers – Lewis Ali, Jude Heighton and Adam Smith – made their debuts, Smith going the full three rounds in his bout.

Ali was the opening Bridport representative, setting the tone for the evening with a competitive match-up against Tadhg Kelly-Morgan from St Austell, showing plenty of promise.

Blake Davies went all three rounds with Bideford’s Kohan Kennedy, impressing as the away fighter had a better record.

Crowd favourite Spike Armstrong then lost to Wessex fighter Billy Strand in a return match, the latter avenging a previous defeat.

Heighton then took on experienced James Dearson from Bideford in a tremendous scrap, narrowly losing on debut.

Fellow debutant Smith determinedly went three rounds with the strength of Wimborne’s Mitch Hack.

Lucian Sherwood was evenly-matched in his bout with Poole’s Josh Curry, marginally missing out on the verdict in a superb contest. Bridport will now seek a return fight.

Ben Pascoe brilliantly went the distance with St Austell’s highly-rated Joe Eagan, going three hard, slugging rounds before Eagan was awarded the fight.

Slaney said: “It was a good night, everybody worked hard and we can only say thanks to Freshwater and to my wife for running around like she does on these boxing shows.

“They surprised me. I thought they’d hold their own. They took their shots and they came back from them and the Bridport people were very pleased with it all.”