HARWICH Boxing Club got their year off to fantastic start, organising a highly-successful, 14-bout show with partners Colchester United at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Welterweight Paul Gordon was voted best home boxer and was also involved in the bout of the night, against Maldon's Jack Martin.

After several opponents pulled out, a calculated risk was taken in matching Gordon with Martin, who is currently ranked number ten in England.

Gordon matched his opponent blow for blow in the opening minute and then landed a solid shot that slowed Martin down.

The second session had the crowd on their feet as, again, the pair went toe-to-toe.

Eventually, Gordon gained the upper hand and forced a standing eight count on his now bloodied Maldon foe.

The final session was a repeat of the second, with another count forced, therefore securing a prestigious, unanimous points win in a cracking contest.

England's number five rated light heavyweight Pat Allen Cripps had his first contest of the current season - a three by three-minute affair against John Cawley, from Milton Keynes.

Allen Cripps forced the pace in the first round and scored solid shots to the body.

Cawley closed the gap in the second as he fought back well.

However, boxing to orders in the last, Allen Cripps fired in accurate salvos from distance to ensure a unanimous points win.

Fifteen-year-old Stevie Martin took on the experienced Jack Wiffen, of Sudbury.

Little separated the two in the opener as both boxers demonstrated neat skills.

Martin really got into his grove in rounds two and three as his hand speed proved the difference on route to a unanimous points win.

Sean Darvell, 16, went over old ground and repeated a previous win over Ben Lee, from Colchester ABC.

This proved another tight affair, with both boxers picking up a warning apiece in the last round for rule infringements.

Eventually, the Harwich southpaw edged over the line with a split points win.

In no mood to hang around was 14-year-old Toby Gledhill, who conceded experience to Russell Chapman, of Norwich Diamonds ABC.

In only his second contest, Gledhill smashed in hook after hook to force a standing eight count in the first.

Another onslaught at the start of round two saw another eight count, with referee Simon Mullen calling a halt to proceedings in favour of the Harwich boxer.

Eleven-year-old Cameron Walker opened the show in his pairing with Sudbury's Scott Stanard.

In a close encounter, a good second round paved the way for victory for Cameron.

His useful right hand found the mark on several occasions on his way to a unanimous points win.

Sixteen-year-old Killian Hardy faced fellow unbeaten rival Sam Ives, from from the Castle Colchester club.

The physically bigger Ives utilised his southpaw skills to give Killian a hard night.

However, undeterred, Killian's supreme fitness and will to win saw him grind out a close but unanimous points win.

With seven wins from seven for the host club, the pressure to complete the clean sweep fell on senior light heavyweight Gavin Hewitt, who took on Norwich Diamonds' Alex Lindsey.

Southpaw Lindsey started all three rounds the better, but Hewitt dug in and pulled back the difference, just edging ahead with his heavy hands and better fitness levels.

A close points decision went the way of the Harwich man, thus completing an historic 100 per cent return for the club.