Unbeaten McCleod comes from brink of defeat to win

SCOTLAND'S Iain McCleod came back from the brink of defeat to knock out Londoner Patrick Gallagher in the seventh round of their IBO super-featherweight title fight at Ulster Hall, Belfast, last night.
Unbeaten McLeod was on the canvas within a matter of seconds from the first punch of the fight as Gallagher connected with a stinging right hand.
After taking a count of eight from referee John Keane, McLeod was forced to soak up considerable punishment as the Londoner looked to land the finishing blow.
But Gallagher let him off the hook and paid the price in the seventh when, having been stunned by a right, he was sent sprawling halfway through the ropes by a tremendous left hook and though he got to his feet was in no state to continue.
Up to that point it had been an uninspiring contest with Gallagher failing to capitalise on his early success and gradually he allowed McLeod back into the contest.
Gallagher took the second and third rounds as McLeod tried to regroup and the Scot finally had some success in the fourth when he tagged Gallagher with a couple of sharp combinations. Following an even fifth round McLeod began to show that he was capable of pushing Gallagher back.
McLeod suffered a cut over the right eye in the seventh but that only spurred him on and he stormed into Gallagher, producing a dramatic finish.

irish news | international news | irish business | international business
irish sport | international sport | soccer! | results | features
back to top | about this site