Sean McCusker advanced to the final of the European Under-19 Boxing Championships after defeating Greece’s Nearchos Petros Konstantinoudis by unanimous decision in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
The Louth teenager has guaranteed at least a silver medal, with four more Irish boxers fighting to reach their respective finals on Wednesday.
The first round opened at a savage pace, with both McCusker and Konstantinoudis eager to fight at close range.
The Dealgan Boxing Club fighter landed the more eye-catching work throughout the opening round, having particular success with his left hook which punctuated many of the exchanges.
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McCusker was roared on throughout the fight by a strong Irish contingent who were again delighted with the action in the second round.
The high pace continued, and although Konstantinoudis found a home for some of his combinations, the Irish boxer showed good footwork and hand speed to keep on top of the action.
With the fight in his favour heading into the third round, McCusker adopted a more measured game plan in the final session to win by unanimous decision.
He will face Luka Chkhikvadze on Thursday in the gold medal bout after the Georgian advanced on a split decision in his semi-final.
Four Irish boxers will be in semi-final action on Wednesday, as Kayleigh Byrne (51kg), Grace Conway (57kg), Nessa Tabachuk (75kg) and John Donaghue (65kg) look to upgrade their bronze medals and join McCusker in Thursday’s finals.
