The 32-year-old southpaw weathered a determined attack from Taunton rival Courtney Thomas in the opening minute, but then launched a sustained body attack to reverse the tide.Young’s persistence then paid off as a penetrating solid left landed with pin-point precision to the Somerset man’s solar plexus to prompt a standing count before the end of the opening round.The pair became embroiled in a frenetic exchange of hooks at the start of the second period and Young was proving the more accurate of the two, especially with his left hand.The combined battle of a useful opponent and illness became apparent during the third round as Thomas started to edge ahead and imposed a standing count from a three-punch cluster.Young’s cause had not been helped when two points were added to his opponent’s score after he received a public warning for a low blow from referee Ian Lindsay.
Thomas then upped his work-rate in the final session to clinch the decision, but both men had given everything they had to offer and looked drained at the end of an absorbing encounter.’Good luck to Courtney in the quarter finals – he got the decision on the day,’ was the immediate reaction from Young as he stepped from the ring.’He was a tough kid, but probably not as strong as Tex Houston of Weymouth, who I beat in the previous round.
It proved to be a case of bad timing – if I had boxed two weeks ago, I’m convinced it would have been my arm being raised at the end of the bout.
But that’s boxing.
I can’t set the championship dates.’Young’s coach, Dave Thompson, agreed with his boxer’s analysis.
He said: ‘Paul had been drained by the flu but did well under the circumstances and we can’t really complain about the decision.’But we knew it would be hard taking on a lad with three times the amount of bouts on his card and Paul needed to be fully fit.
Valuable lessons have been learned and we’ll use them in the next championship campaign.’
